The Chair ("That shadow that lies floating on the floor..."), from The Raven (Le Corbeau)

The Chair ("That shadow that lies floating on the floor..."), from The Raven (Le Corbeau), is a pivotal 1875 transfer lithograph created by Édouard Manet as part of a deluxe French edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem. This complex project was translated and produced by the Symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé, and published by Richard Lesclide, printed by Lefman et Cie. This collaboration fused the literary despair of the American master with the visual modernism of one of the leading figures in French art.

Manet utilized the technique of transfer lithography, allowing him to create spontaneous, almost painterly textures on the surface of the gray China paper. This specific print captures the haunting desolation central to Poe's narrative. The composition focuses solely on an empty chair, dramatically lit and casting a dense, elongated shadow on the floor, visually embodying the poem's melancholic line that refers to the "shadow that lies floating on the floor."

Produced in France during a period when Symbolism was gaining traction, this illustration set is considered one of the earliest and most successful examples of a modern artist illustrating a major literary work. The set of prints was influential in cementing Manet’s reputation as an illustrator as well as a painter, demonstrating his ability to capture mood through simplified form. As a historical piece of graphic art, the work is now part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s esteemed collection. High-resolution versions of this influential 19th-century print are often made available through public domain archives, ensuring its accessibility for study and appreciation worldwide.