The Pit and the Pendulum, second Plate

Art Historical Context

Alphonse Legros, a French-born artist who later became a prominent figure British art circles, created *The Pit and the Pend, second Plate* in1861 as part of a series of etchings inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's chilling 1842 tale of Inquisition-era torture. This second plate captures the story's nightmarish tension, likely depicting the protagonist's harrowing ordeal with the descending pendulum blade. Legros, influenced by Realism and the dramatic etchings of Rembrandt, brought a gothic intensity to his illustrations, bridging 19th-century literature and visual art during a time when Poe's macabre works were gaining European acclaim. Rendered in etching on luxurious ivory laid paper—a fine, textured support that enhances the ink's depth and contrast—this print measures 26.5 × 36.7 cm on the plate. Etching allowed Legros to achieve intricate lines and shadowy tones through acid-etched copper plates, a technique prized for its precision and reproducibility. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, it exemplifies the era's printmaking revival, making high art accessible beyond paintings. Legros's Poe series underscores the cultural cross-pollination between American literature and French graphic arts, inviting viewers to ponder themes of dread and human endurance. A masterful blend of horror and technical virtuosity, it remains a haunting gem for print enthusiasts.

About the Artist

Alphonse Legros · 1837–1911

Alphonse Legros (1837–1911) was born in Dijon, France, and trained in Paris at the drawing school of Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose unconventional teaching method — which emphasised memory drawing and acute observation over academic convention — would leave a lasting mark on Legros's practice. At Lecoq's school he formed friendships with Jules Dalou and Auguste Rodin that endured throughout hi...