The Oval Portrait (Poe): Difference between revisions

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Created page with "{{written by AI}} {{Summary | Title = The Oval Portrait | Author = Edgar Allan Poe | Literary form = short story | Year of publication = 1850 | Microsummary = An injured traveler sought shelter in an abandoned chateau, where he discovered a lifelike portrait of a young woman. The painter's obsession with his art led to his wife's death as he captured her essence. }} {{Start of text}} An injured traveler and his valet sought shelter in an abandoned chateau in the Appenn..."
 
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| Author = Edgar Allan Poe
| Author = Edgar Allan Poe
| Literary form = short story
| Literary form = short story
| Year of publication = 1850
| Year of publication = 1842
| Microsummary = An injured traveler sought shelter in an abandoned chateau, where he discovered a lifelike portrait of a young woman. The painter's obsession with his art led to his wife's death as he captured her essence.
| Microsummary = A wounded man discovered a lifelike portrait of a beautiful woman in an abandoned château, later learning that the artist's obsession with capturing her essence led to her death.
}}
}}


{{Start of text}}
{{Start of text}}
An injured traveler and his valet sought shelter in an abandoned chateau in the Appennines. The traveler stayed in a small, richly decorated room filled with paintings and a book describing them. He spent the night reading the book and admiring the paintings.


As he adjusted the candelabrum to better see the book, he discovered an oval portrait of a young woman. He became entranced by the lifelike quality of the portrait and searched the book for information about it.
A man, severely wounded, sought refuge in an abandoned château with the help of his valet, Pedro. They settled in a small, remote turret room adorned with tapestries, armorial trophies, and numerous modern paintings. The man, unable to sleep, decided to spend the night examining the paintings and reading a book that described them.


{{Quote|
{{Character
"I had found the spell of the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at first startling, finally confounded, subdued, and appalled me."
| Name = The Narrator
| Description = wounded man who found the portrait; intrigued by the paintings in the château
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🦳
}}
}}


The book revealed the story of the painter and his wife.
As the night progressed, the man accidentally shone light on a previously unnoticed painting. It was an oval portrait of a young girl, beautifully executed and incredibly lifelike. The man became deeply affected by the portrait and sought to understand its power over him. He eventually concluded that it was the absolute life-likeness of the girl's expression that had so profoundly moved him.


{{Character
{{Quote
| Name = The Narrator
| Text = I had found the spell of the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at first startling, finally confounded, subdued, and appalled me.
| Description = injured traveler seeking shelter in an abandoned chateau; fascinated by the paintings in his room; curious, observant
| Context = The narrator describes the effect the portrait had on him, as he realized the lifelike quality of the painting. This occurs after he first discovers the portrait in the château.
| Emoji = 🧑🏻‍🎨
}}
}}
Turning to the book, the man read the story behind the portrait. The girl was a maiden of rare beauty and full of joy. She fell in love with and married a passionate, austere painter who was already devoted to his art.


{{Character
{{Character
| Name = The Painter
| Name = The Painter
| Description = talented artist who becomes obsessed with painting his wife; passionate, studious, austere; unintentionally neglectful of his wife's well-being
| Description = artist who painted the portrait; passionate, studious, austere, and obsessed with his work
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🎨
| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🎨
}}
}}


The wife was a beautiful, lively woman who loved her husband deeply. However, she resented his devotion to his art, which she felt was her rival for his affection. The painter decided to create a portrait of his wife, and she obediently sat for him in a dark turret chamber.
The girl loved everything except the art that took her husband's attention away from her. When the painter expressed his desire to paint his young bride, she reluctantly agreed.


As the painter worked on the portrait, he became increasingly obsessed with it, neglecting his wife's health and well-being. She grew weaker and more dispirited, but continued to smile for her husband's sake. When the portrait was nearly finished, the painter locked himself in the turret, refusing to see anyone or even look at his wife.
{{Character
| Name = The Lady
| Description = the painter's wife; beautiful, full of glee, loving, and obedient; subject of the portrait
| Emoji = 👩🏻‍🦳
}}


In the end, the painter completed the portrait, capturing the very essence of life in his wife's image. However, as he stepped back to admire his work, he realized that his wife had died.
The girl sat for weeks in a dark turret chamber, where the light fell only from above. The painter, consumed by his work, failed to notice that his wife's health and spirits were deteriorating. Despite her suffering, she continued to smile and support her husband's passion. As the painting neared completion, the painter became even more obsessed, refusing to let anyone else into the turret.


{{Quote|
{{Quote
"And when many weeks had passed, and but little remained to do, save one brush upon the mouth and one tint upon the eye... She was dead!"
| Text = And he would not see that the tints which he spread upon the canvas were drawn from the cheeks of her who sat beside him.
| Context = This quote describes the painter's obsession with his work, as he unknowingly drained the life from his wife while painting her portrait. It is part of the story within the story, as the narrator reads about the portrait's history.
}}
}}


The portrait had drained her life, leaving only a hauntingly beautiful image behind.
Finally, with only a few touches left to complete the portrait, the girl's spirit flickered like a dying flame. The painter finished the painting, and for a moment, he was entranced by his own creation. However, as he turned to look at his wife, he realized that she had died. The painter had unwittingly captured her very life essence on the canvas, leaving her lifeless in reality.


{{End of text}}
{{End of text}}

Latest revision as of 11:14, 30 May 2023

Disclaimer: This summary was generated by AI, so it may contain errors.
Edgar Allan Poe
The Oval Portrait
1842
Summary of the Short Story
Microsummary: A wounded man discovered a lifelike portrait of a beautiful woman in an abandoned château, later learning that the artist's obsession with capturing her essence led to her death.

A man, severely wounded, sought refuge in an abandoned château with the help of his valet, Pedro. They settled in a small, remote turret room adorned with tapestries, armorial trophies, and numerous modern paintings. The man, unable to sleep, decided to spend the night examining the paintings and reading a book that described them.

👨🏻‍🦳
The Narrator — wounded man who found the portrait; intrigued by the paintings in the château.

As the night progressed, the man accidentally shone light on a previously unnoticed painting. It was an oval portrait of a young girl, beautifully executed and incredibly lifelike. The man became deeply affected by the portrait and sought to understand its power over him. He eventually concluded that it was the absolute life-likeness of the girl's expression that had so profoundly moved him.

I had found the spell of the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at first startling, finally confounded, subdued, and appalled me.

Turning to the book, the man read the story behind the portrait. The girl was a maiden of rare beauty and full of joy. She fell in love with and married a passionate, austere painter who was already devoted to his art.

👨🏻‍🎨
The Painter — artist who painted the portrait; passionate, studious, austere, and obsessed with his work.

The girl loved everything except the art that took her husband's attention away from her. When the painter expressed his desire to paint his young bride, she reluctantly agreed.

👩🏻‍🦳
The Lady — the painter's wife; beautiful, full of glee, loving, and obedient; subject of the portrait.

The girl sat for weeks in a dark turret chamber, where the light fell only from above. The painter, consumed by his work, failed to notice that his wife's health and spirits were deteriorating. Despite her suffering, she continued to smile and support her husband's passion. As the painting neared completion, the painter became even more obsessed, refusing to let anyone else into the turret.

And he would not see that the tints which he spread upon the canvas were drawn from the cheeks of her who sat beside him.

Finally, with only a few touches left to complete the portrait, the girl's spirit flickered like a dying flame. The painter finished the painting, and for a moment, he was entranced by his own creation. However, as he turned to look at his wife, he realized that she had died. The painter had unwittingly captured her very life essence on the canvas, leaving her lifeless in reality.

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