ESSAY CEMETERY

The wife died, either by her life being somehow literally transferred to the painting and killing her, or by lack of joy and attention, and sadness. The painting became more real to the painter than the subject he was describing. This is neo-platonic in a sense because the text praises art; the artist "turned his eyes from the canvass rarely, even to regard the countenance of his wife", as though he was drawing from the idea of his wife rather than the live person (Plato spoke of the world of ideas). This is a remark about art- its inherent evilness, its effect on the audience and the artist, and its immortality in contrast with the mortality of the subject. The text is metafictional, referencing art and books within it- the entire story is built upon a painting, visual art-within-literature, and a book about the art within the story- again art within art. The story creates a frame of reference and deeply adheres to it, so that there are no events really in the ...

The narrator and his valet break into an abandoned castle after the narrator is wounded. The narrator settles in bed to contemplate the many pictures on the wall and read about them in a book he has found. He suddenly notices the portrait of a young girl. Something about it makes him shut his eyes at the sight of it; tentatively he opens them again and is startled alert. He describes the style of the painting and its frame, but states that it was not these which startled him, but rather the lifelikeness of the painting. The narrator views the portrait at length and is "confused, subdued and appalled" by it. He turns to the book on the paintings he had been reading. The book describes the subject of the painting: a woman full of joy and love for all but art, which is the profession in which her husband, a painter, is entirely engrossed. The painter goes on to paint his reluctant wife, who humors his passion while pining for him. As the painter becomes more engrossed in his wor...