La Chaise (The Chair) (plate 4) from Le Corbeau (The Raven)

La Chaise (The Chair) (plate 4) from Le Corbeau (The Raven) is a lithograph created by the pivotal French artist Édouard Manet in 1875. This print is one plate of six designed by Manet for an illustrated book that accompanied Stéphane Mallarmé’s celebrated translation of Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting narrative poem, "The Raven." The project, known as Le Corbeau, remains a foundational text in the history of the livre d’artiste, emphasizing the growing collaboration between visual artists and contemporary literary figures during the late 19th century.

Manet’s decision to use lithography for this series reflects his mastery of the medium. Lithography, a process utilizing grease and water repulsion on a flat stone, allowed the artist to achieve rich, velvety black tones and subtle textural gradients necessary to convey the oppressive atmosphere of Poe’s narrative. This technique distinguished his work from the more common wood engraving methods prevalent in book illustration at the time. Executed in 1875, the piece showcases Manet moving beyond the immediate concerns of Impressionism to engage with the symbolic and psychological depth of literature, a characteristic that aligned him closely with the aesthetic movement championed by Mallarmé.

As an individual print from the series, La Chaise uses minimal elements and high contrast to evoke emptiness and despair, key themes in the poem. Manet’s powerful interpretation of the source material helped solidify the reputation of the prints in the art world. Classified specifically as an Illustrated Book, this significant work from 1875 provides critical insight into French cultural intersections of illustration and poetry. The lithograph is part of the extensive collection of modern prints held by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its importance in the history of modern graphic arts.