The Pit and the Pendulum, second Plate 1861

Curator: The atmosphere here is intensely unsettling. It reminds me of Goya's darkest visions. Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at is an etching by Alphonse Legros, titled "The Pit and the Pendulum, second Plate," created in 1861. It’s based on Edgar Allan Poe’s story, now residing here at The Art Institute of Chicago. The horror just jumps off the page. Curator: Absolutely, it's claustrophobic! You are struck immediately by that pendulum of doom dangling, the sharp instrument looming over the bound figure, and then that pit in the floor; this space itself becomes a character. The lines are incredibly wiry, scratchy almost, heightening the anxiety. Editor: Precisely, it's the visualization of existential dread. Legros employs this network of lines—the density almost seems to suffocate the scene, mirroring the protagonist’s psychological state, slowly losing hope. You also find how symbols speak of control and subjugation; how a razor edge is ready to split from body to spirit; an allegory on human helplessness, no? Curator: Subjugation, helplessness, totally. The way Legros emphasizes the lone figure's emaciated form, so vulnerably exposed to the cutting blade above. Is it hope you see on his upturned face or simple terror, I wonder. Editor: Well, if we interpret the pendulum, which mimics the form of the moon—lunar cycles in mythology represent the relentless passing of time and inevitable decay; you may read an ancient commentary. Think also about other objects like the trough filled with... something... waiting nearby. Are they ready to trick us? That could become the art's greatest virtue. Curator: Absolutely a kind of game, isn't it? With those unnerving details – that sense of watching rather than feeling is just chilling to consider. It definitely compels one to linger, dissecting each calculated shadow. Editor: To face the mirror, no less; Poe's narrative reflected. Curator: Definitely, this piece makes me think of what's looming in the future for all of us and it gives one pause... it gives one the shivers. Editor: A somber memento to endure within our conscience. It’s worth lingering on these symbols of anguish.