The Oval Portrait

The Oval Portrait is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Set in a castle, it tells the disturbing events surrounding a portrait. It is one of Poe’s shortest stories; the first publication, in 1842, was only two pages long.

The story begins with a wounded narrator traveling in the Apennines who takes refuge in an abandoned chateau. The reason for his wound is unclear. While staying in a strangely shaped room, he spends his time examining the paintings on the walls and reading a book he finds, which explains and critiques the artworks.

At one point, he notices a highly realistic portrait in a corner that he had not seen before. The portrait is so lifelike that he is shocked, as if it were truly alive. He studies the painting until he can no longer bear to look at it, then begins reading the explanation in the book.

The rest of the story becomes a story within a story, as the book tells the tale behind the portrait. According to the text, the painting was created by a strange painter who decided to paint a portrait of his young wife. Over time, he becomes obsessed with the painting and ignores his real wife. When he finishes the portrait, he exclaims, “This is indeed Life itself!” Then he turns to look at his wife and finds that she is dead.

The story starts with two characters and a specific setting, and then turns into a frame story. It is told by the first narrator, and then shifts into the second story about the painting, which comes from the book the narrator reads.