The Raven on the Bust of Pallas ("Perched upon a bust of Pallas..."), from The Raven (Le Corbeau)

The Raven on the Bust of Pallas ("Perched upon a bust of Pallas..."), from The Raven (Le Corbeau) is a definitive visual component of the landmark 1875 French limited-edition publication, resulting from the collaboration between pioneering modernist painter Édouard Manet, influential translator Stéphane Mallarmé, and the original text by American author Edgar Allan Poe. This unique visual interpretation of Poe’s famous narrative poem cemented a key moment of synergy between Symbolist literature and French artistic innovation in the 19th century. The scene captures the dramatic moment when the eponymous bird settles upon the classical bust above the narrator’s chamber door.

The work is executed as a transfer lithograph in black on gray China paper, a technique that allowed Manet to leverage the dramatic potential of high contrast and stark shadow. Unlike the detailed line work of traditional engraving, the lithographic process offered Manet a freedom more akin to drawing, emphasizing the brooding, psychological atmosphere of the poem. The bold, simplified forms in this print enhance the sense of inescapable gloom and tragedy that define Poe’s tale.

Published by Richard Lesclide and printed by Lefman et Cie., the volume Le Corbeau was a crucial document of transatlantic literary influence and artistic experimentation. Manet’s striking imagery, particularly the powerful composition of The Raven on the Bust of Pallas, remains widely recognized today. This influential work, part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s comprehensive collection of prints, is frequently accessed by scholars and the public, often being available in the public domain due to its historical classification and age.