The article focuses on the motif of light effects in Arbes' romanettos, especially in the Ďábel na skřipci (1865), Svatý Xaverius (1872), Ukřižovaná (1876) and Poslední dnové lidstva (1895). These effects are usually connected with hallucinations and insanity and could be inspired by the works of E.
A. Poe or by contemporary phantasmagories.