The Portrait - Nikolai Gogol

Summary

"The Portrait" by Nikolai Gogol tells the story of Chartkov, a talented but impoverished young artist in St. Petersburg. He buys a mysterious portrait of an old man with unnervingly lifelike eyes. Upon discovering a fortune hidden within its frame, Chartkov abandons his artistic ideals for commercial success, painting fashionable, superficial portraits and living lavishly. His art devolves, losing its soul and depth. He eventually encounters the work of a truly gifted artist, which brutally highlights his own artistic degradation. Consumed by envy and despair, Chartkov buys and destroys other works of art, ultimately succumbing to madness and a terrible death.

The second part of the story delves into the origins of the sinister portrait. It is revealed that the subject was a notorious usurer, believed to be an embodiment of evil, whose image brings misfortune and ruin to all who possess it. The artist who originally painted the usurer struggled with the portrait's demonic influence, which nearly destroyed his own life and art. He eventually repented, became a monk, and devoted himself to creating spiritual masterpieces, warning his sons to destroy the cursed portrait should they ever find it. The story concludes with the portrait disappearing amidst the chaos of an auction, its malevolent influence poised to continue its destructive path.

Book Sections

Section 1

Chartkov, a young and talented but desperately poor artist, dreams of creating true art but struggles to make ends meet in St. Petersburg. He lives in a cramped attic, perpetually behind on his rent and lacking the funds for art supplies. One day, while browsing an art shop, he is drawn to a peculiar portrait of an old man in Asiatic robes. The old man's eyes are unsettlingly lifelike, seeming to stare directly at him with a malevolent intelligence. Despite the portrait's uncanny nature and the art dealer's high asking price, Chartkov feels compelled to buy it, using his last twenty kopecks. He brings it back to his humble apartment, where the old man's gaze continues to disturb him.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Chartkov	Young, talented, idealistic, impoverished, prone to distraction, easily influenced.	To become a great artist, to pursue true art, to escape poverty.
Art Dealer	Opportunistic, shrewd businessman.	To sell art and make a profit.

Section 2

Chartkov attempts to sleep, but the old man's eyes in the portrait seem to follow him, even appearing in his dreams. He wakes up in a fright, convinced the eyes are moving. The next morning, a landlord's assistant arrives to demand overdue rent. In a moment of panic, Chartkov strikes the portrait's frame, and to his astonishment, a roll of gold coins tumbles out. The discovery of a thousand chervonets transforms Chartkov's life instantly. He pays his landlord, buys new clothes, dines lavishly, and moves into a luxurious apartment. He begins to feel a sense of freedom and power, which initially he believes will allow him to dedicate himself fully to art.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Landlord's Assistant	Practical, demanding, represents the harsh realities of Chartkov's poverty.	To collect overdue rent.

Section 3

Chartkov's newfound wealth, however, quickly corrupts him. Instead of using the money to pursue his artistic ideals, he uses it to indulge in a life of luxury and social climbing. He starts accepting commissions for fashionable, flattering portraits of wealthy socialites and officials, abandoning his studies of form and classical subjects. His work becomes increasingly superficial, focusing on superficial likenesses and pleasing his patrons with artificial embellishments. His reputation grows as a fashionable portrait painter, and his studio is always full of clients. His former professor visits him, seeing the decline in Chartkov's art and warning him against chasing fleeting trends, but Chartkov dismisses the advice. Chartkov revels in his celebrity and the financial rewards, convinced that he has found a shortcut to artistic greatness.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Professor	Experienced, dedicated to true art, discerning.	To guide and educate young artists, to preserve artistic integrity.

Section 4

Years pass, and Chartkov is now a wealthy and celebrated, but artistically bankrupt, painter. He has forgotten his early ideals and lost the genuine talent he once possessed. One day, he attends an exhibition and is deeply moved by a painting by a former fellow student (referred to as the "young artist"). This painting, a religious scene, is a masterpiece of profound beauty, spiritual depth, and technical brilliance—a testament to years of dedicated study and true artistic striving. Chartkov is overwhelmed by a crushing realization of his own artistic failure. He sees the chasm between his superficial, commissioned works and this truly great art. Envy consumes him. He begins to buy every great artwork he can find, not to appreciate it, but to savagely destroy it in a fit of mad jealousy. This destructive obsession quickly drives him to complete madness, and he dies a horrific death, haunted by the piercing eyes of the old man in the portrait.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Young Artist	Dedicated, patient, morally upright, focused on true artistic development.	To create meaningful and profound art through diligent study and spiritual devotion.

Section 5

At a grand art auction, the notorious portrait of the old man reappears, causing a stir among the attendees. Its uncanny realism and the strange stories surrounding it make it a subject of fascination. A distinguished gentleman, an artist's son (Artist B.'s son), recognizes the portrait and feels compelled to tell its true, horrifying history to the assembled crowd. He explains that his father, a renowned artist, had left a detailed account of the portrait's origins and the curse it carried. The story he recounts sheds light on the malevolent force behind the painting and its long legacy of destruction.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Artist B.'s Son	Dignified, knowledgeable, responsible.	To warn others about the portrait's curse and reveal its true history as passed down by his father.

Section 6

The gentleman begins his tale, explaining that the subject of the portrait was a moneylender, a usurer, in Kolomna, known for his cold-heartedness, greed, and eerie, piercing eyes. He was believed to be an evil entity, perhaps even the devil himself, bringing ruin to countless families through his loans and manipulations. Many believed his gaze could steal a person's soul or cause misfortune. The gentleman's father, a talented artist (let's call him Artist B.), was commissioned to paint this usurer. Artist B. found the task incredibly difficult, particularly capturing the usurer's eyes, which seemed to possess a living, malevolent power. As he painted, Artist B. felt a darkness enter his soul, and after the portrait was completed, he noticed a shift in his own art and life. His subsequent works lacked depth and spirit, becoming merely technically proficient but soulless. He felt an inexplicable decline in his artistic and personal well-being.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
The Usurer	Old, cold-hearted, greedy, mysterious, believed to be an embodiment of evil or connected to the devil, possesses unnerving, piercing eyes.	To accumulate wealth, to exert power and control over others, to cause suffering.
Artist B. (original painter)	Talented, sensitive, initially ambitious, later repentant and devout.	To capture truth in his art, to overcome the portrait's malevolent influence, to seek redemption.

Section 7

Artist B., deeply troubled by the changes in his art and life, realized the destructive influence of the usurer's portrait. He saw how the act of capturing such pure evil had corrupted his own soul and artistic vision. In an act of profound repentance, he abandoned secular art, entered a monastery, and dedicated his life to spiritual pursuits and religious painting. Through years of asceticism, prayer, and devotion, he purified his soul and regained his artistic vision, eventually creating masterpieces of profound spiritual beauty, infused with divine light. Before his death, he recounted the entire story of the usurer and the portrait to his son, warning him emphatically to seek out and destroy the cursed painting, as it was a conduit for evil and would bring ruin to anyone who possessed it.

Section 8

The gentleman concludes his terrifying account, revealing how the portrait, since its creation, had passed through numerous hands, bringing madness, destitution, and death to every owner. It was a tangible representation of pure evil, forever exerting its malign influence. As he finishes his story, the attendees at the auction are deeply disturbed. In the ensuing commotion and general confusion, people start pushing and jostling, trying to get a closer look at the infamous painting. When the crowd eventually disperses, the portrait is gone. Its fate remains unknown, suggesting that it might continue its dark journey, bringing misfortune to its next unsuspecting owner, perpetually lurking in the shadows of human greed and ambition.

Literary Genre

Fantastic Realism, Gothic Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Satire (of the art world and society).

Author Information

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809-1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer. He is considered one of the greatest masters of Russian literature and is often seen as one of the founders of realism in Russian literature.

• Early Life: Born in Sorochyntsi, Ukraine, to a family of gentry. His early life in the Ukrainian countryside heavily influenced his later works, particularly his use of folklore and the grotesque.
• Career: He initially worked as a civil servant but found little success. His literary career took off with collections of Ukrainian stories, like "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka."
• Major Works: Best known for his satirical play "The Inspector General," the epic novel "Dead Souls," and short stories such as "The Nose," "The Overcoat," and "Diary of a Madman."
• Style: Gogol's writing is characterized by its blend of realism and the grotesque, humor, satire, and profound psychological insight. He often depicted the absurdity and corruption of Russian society and bureaucracy.
• Legacy: His influence on later Russian writers, including Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, is immense. He is considered a pioneer of the "natural school" in Russian literature, which focused on realistic depictions of everyday life and social problems.

Moral

The moral of "The Portrait" is a stark warning against sacrificing artistic integrity and spiritual values for material gain, fame, and fleeting commercial success. It illustrates how the pursuit of wealth and superficial recognition can corrupt talent, destroy one's soul, and lead to despair and madness. The story also explores the nature of evil and its tangible, destructive influence, suggesting that true art must come from a place of purity and dedication, rather than from compromised motives.

Curiosities

1. Gogol's Obsession with the Devil: Gogol was deeply religious and often explored themes of good versus evil and the influence of the demonic in his works. "The Portrait" is a prime example of this, with the usurer's image acting as a conduit for evil.
2. Two Versions: "The Portrait" exists in two distinct versions. The first, published in 1835, was part of his collection Arabesques. Gogol later revised it significantly for a second edition in 1842, making the moral and religious themes more pronounced and enhancing the supernatural elements. The 1842 version is the one most commonly read today.
3. Critique of the Art World: The story can be read as a biting satire and critique of the commercialization and superficiality of the art world in Gogol's time, where genuine talent was often overshadowed by fashionable trends and the demands of wealthy patrons.
4. Influence on Russian Literature: The theme of the struggling artist whose talent is corrupted by society became a recurring motif in Russian literature, with "The Portrait" serving as an early and powerful example.
5. The Lifelike Eyes: The description of the portrait's eyes, so realistic they seem to follow the viewer, is a recurring Gothic trope that Gogol uses to heighten the psychological horror and supernatural dread of the story.