H.W. Longfellow, 2nd plate 

Alphonse Legros made this lithograph of H.W. Longfellow, the second plate of the print, sometime in the late 19th century. Legros, a French artist working in England, portrays Longfellow, the celebrated American poet, with soft, delicate lines that capture a sense of the man's gentle nature. This portrait exists within a tradition of depicting literary figures as wise, almost sage-like individuals. Yet, Legros' approach is interesting in how he avoids idealization. Longfellow is presented with a certain starkness; we are invited to see the weariness in his eyes, the lines etched by time on his face. Consider the implications of Longfellow's fame and his identity as an American poet in Europe. Was Legros seeking to capture the essence of American identity, or perhaps highlight the universal aspects of human experience through Longfellow's visage? Ultimately, Legros invites us to see Longfellow not just as a literary icon, but as a human being marked by life's passages.