Under the Lamp ("Once upon a midnight dreary..."), from The Raven (Le Corbeau)

Under the Lamp ("Once upon a midnight dreary..."), from The Raven (Le Corbeau) is a seminal transfer lithograph created in 1875 by the pivotal French artist Édouard Manet. This work is one of five illustrations Manet produced for the deluxe edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s renowned narrative poem, The Raven (Le Corbeau). The publication represents a unique confluence of major transatlantic cultural forces: Poe’s original text translated by the Symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé, printed by Lefman et Cie., and published by Richard Lesclide. This portfolio instantly became a landmark in the history of illustrated books in France, merging Poe’s haunting Gothic themes with Manet's rapidly modernizing visual language.

Executed as a transfer lithograph in black ink on cream laid paper, the technique allowed Manet to achieve a range of dramatic tonal effects and a sketch-like immediacy often associated with his contemporary paintings. The image captures the narrator alone in his desolate study, leaning heavily on the psychological tension that defines the poem’s opening stanza. Manet skillfully uses deep shadow and areas of concentrated black ink to visualize the midnight melancholy and claustrophobic isolation of the scene. The print demonstrates Manet’s deep engagement with the graphic arts, translating his characteristic mastery of light and shadow into a striking monochromatic composition.

The production of such high-quality prints in the 1870s solidified Manet’s reputation as both an illustrator and a leading figure in French modernist art. This particular piece, a celebrated example of 19th-century French graphic work and literary collaboration, is preserved in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Its historical importance highlights how key collaborations between artists and writers defined the publishing landscape in France during the late 19th century, contributing to the rich body of material now often available in the public domain for scholarly research.