Laura in Bed

Laura in Bed

Illustration by David Henry Friston for the gothic novella Carmilla by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, published as a serial in the London-based literary magazine The Dark Blue. The lady vampire Carmilla approaches the young woman Laura in her bedroom at night.

The story of Carmilla follows the narration of a young woman who discovers that her close female companion and bond, Carmilla, is a vampire who has romantic desires for her. The novella is notable in that its tone is not hostile towards homosexuality--the narrative focuses on the companionship and emotional, physiological connections that form between the women as Laura unravels the mystery and danger surrounding her. While Carmilla is inherently a supernatural, dangerous entity as a vampire, the story is defined by their relationship to one another as much as the ending is defined by the loss of it. After the defeat of the vampire, Laura never recovers from the trauma of the ordeal, from both confronting the unnatural as well as the witnessing the killing of Carmilla.

David Henry Friston

The Dark Blue

British & Colonial Publishing

February 1872

Electrotype after wood engraving