Monika Perry

Professor Padgett
ENGL 101
03 October 2015
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, illustration by Harry Clarke, was printed for
Edgar Allan Poes Tales of Mystery and Imagination of 1916. Being in college, most students
have most likely gotten some sort of educational exposure and taste of Poes work and have a
general understanding of his dark and dreary style. This particular illustration certainly stays true
to his craft. The illustration is dark and simple, yet complex and mysterious and seems to tell us a
story. This photos elements and principles of design including its color, space, and lines
contribute to the fear of the unknown, as tuberculosis and hypnotics were prevalent at the time
the photo was published, and also the unsettlingly feelings of fear that come alongside even
viewing the mysterious illustration. All of these elements combined enhance the negative
emotions present and appeal to a sense of uncertainty to the viewer.
Upon first looking at Clarkes illustration the aspect that potentially catches the viewers
eye is the colors; black and white. The people in the background are black figures that are almost
indistinguishable with the exception of their silhouettes and facial expressions, which is crucial
to the photo. Their facial expressions allow you to discover the feelings they are having while
hovering over the man lying in the bed as they could have just realized he has the new disease
that has terrorized citizens, tuberculosis. However, the focal point of the photo, the skeleton man
lying in the bed, is white and just so happens to be the most noticeable object in the frame. White
in color is stimulating to the senses and opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can

conceive. Therefore, by looking at the man you begin to try and figure out your own idea of what
is happening to him and create a story to justify what the people could potentially be doing to
him. Ultimately the white space allows us to fill in the blanks about his emaciated state. Black on
the other hand represents the absence of light. It appears as if the people are standing in a dark
room with little to no light, helping formulate the theme of the fear of the unknown and how
terrified the people were because of this contagion. As a result of the black taking up such a large
amount of the frame, you cannot help but wonder what is happening in the room where there is
no light. Black and white seem to be a suitable and appropriate choice for this illustration
because it directs attention to the man however it still sparks questions as to what else is going on
in the room adding a little more mystery to the already mysterious illustration and disease.
Clarke took an interesting approach in the sense of how he used the area within the
picture plane. Clarke left a lot of the area to the viewers imagination, better known as negative
space, which he filled with the black color. The positive space in the image is the man and
because of the disproportionate relationship between the positive and negative space in the photo
it accentuates the isolation of the sick man in the bed. The room in the photo appears to be large
yet we do not know the size of the room and have no perception of the depth because of the large
amount of negative space. In the positive space of the photo there is not a lot of shading to allow
for a three-dimensional look, the drawing has a very flat two-dimensional feel that excludes
details that could give viewers a better understanding. Instead of showing depth, Clarke showed
us the man in the foreground of the photo and left the background a missing puzzle piece. Yet in
the background there is one little section of white where a small man appears to be coming out of
a door frame. However, he also, is a mystery to viewers

The absence of light in the illustration leaves little room in the photo for a lot of details.
The most detailed part of the photo again goes back to the main focal point, the mystery man
lying in the bed, who could potentially be in a semi-hypnotic state. He is surrounded by long
skinny lines that appear to be dripping off of him and slowly heading towards the ground as if
they are heavy and being pulled down by gravity. The lines could represent blood or even the
withering away of the man himself. It appears as if his soul is melting off of his bones. Each of
the lines are continuous which leads the viewers eye to the bottom of the photo. They are all
different lengths making the eyes stop at different points and gives attention to the next. The
obscure lines give the illusion that the man lying in the bed is a corpse or maybe only composed
of bones. His body is not very defined as he could be dead. During the time period that this photo
was published tuberculosis became an epidemic in the United States and people were struck with
constant fear of this new disease and were worried of its contagious nature. He could potentially
have contracted the disease leading to widespread fear amongst the others in the subject of the
photo. Clarke also uses lines to express emotion in the piece. There are curvy yet simple lines on
the faces of the people hanging over the man and you can see the intensity in their eyes with
even minuet details as they most likely were performing a ritual on the man to try and cure him
of the deadly new disease. The hands of the people look as if they are casting a spell as they are
shriveled and eerie because of the thin pointy lines they are composed of. In addition to the
color and space, the individual lines lead to more unanswered questions: Does the man have the
tuberculosis? How are they going to cure him? Is he going to live? Yet another aspect that leads
to the fear of the unknown. The people could be helping or hurting him out of fear, it is all in the
eye of the viewer.

At first glance of Harry Clarkes illustration one can not but help to feel uneasy or on
edge. By strategically combining the different elements of design, Clarke portrays the consistent
theme of Poes work and meaning behind the photo; the fear of the unknown and the new
widespread hysteria created by tuberculosis. Harry Clarke uses black and white color, the picture
plane, and a variety of lines in various ways to pull at the emotions of the viewer and spark
questions about the somber mood given off by the photo, ultimately adding to the mystery of it
all.

Works Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan, and William Sharp. Tales of Mystery and Imagination .. New York: Heritage,
1941. Print.