Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

The Power of Art

The power of art to inspire people and directly impact their lives is a central theme throughout the story. The chateau itself represents the inspirational power and purpose of art. The chateau is not merely a building or someone’s home; rather it is a grandiose creation with strange architecture and a Gothic style. The chateau demonstrates that people do not want to just survive with a roof over their heads—they want to be inspired by their surroundings. The chateau’s turrets offer not only a lookout from which to spy enemies, but also a sweeping view of the mountains and countryside. The bedrooms are not simply places to rest, but small museums hung with remarkable paintings and trophies of elaborate armor. The architect of the chateau and collector of the art inside it sought to harness the power of art to inspire its residents.

The characters of the story and their actions also demonstrate the inspirational power of art. The narrator himself appears to live for art. He is drawn to the strange chateau and revels in examining the contents of the bedroom. The art in the room and the companion book together have the power to keep the narrator rapt for hours, despite his weakened condition. When the narrator first catches a glimpse of the oval portrait, he is so shocked by its powerful effect on him that he has to close his eyes and gather his thoughts. The portrait is so stunningly realistic that he eagerly seeks to learn more about it. In doing so, he uncovers another example of the power of art. He learns about an artist whose one true love is art, which serves as his primary motivation in life, above even that of the well-being of his wife. Others’ appreciation of the artist’s work has made him famous, demonstrating great art’s powerful effect on those who consume it. Most dramatically, his love and devotion to art leads directly to the death of his beautiful wife, proving that art holds the power of both life and death.

The Allure of Darkness and Horror

Like so many of Edgar Allan Poe’s works, “The Oval Portrait” explores the human psyche’s attraction to the dark and horrible. The abandoned chateau, a place of “gloom and grandeur,” is the perfect backdrop for this theme and evokes a sense of isolation and ruin. Rather than avoid this dreary place, the narrator and his companion force their way inside because they are drawn to it. The narrator indulges in describing the chateau’s “bizarre” architecture, its dark curtains and tapestries, and the strange armorial trophies in the bedroom. These descriptions suggest that the narrator is awestruck by the dark and strange chateau. It is therefore no wonder he takes great pleasure in isolating himself in the bedroom to contemplate the terrible origins of the oval portrait. When he first sees the portrait, the narrator is frightened and surprised. After taking some time to think about why, he concludes it is the expression on the woman’s face, which elicits a sense of shock and horror within him. Again, rather than leave the room, think about something else, or go to sleep, the narrator chooses to investigate further. The narrator’s reactions to the oval portrait demonstrate the perverse human impulse to look at the macabre rather than away, and suggests there’s something alluring about things that should repulse us. The dreadful story behind the oval portrait does not disappoint, revealing a tale of obsession, desperation, and death. The account’s shocking resolution is significant because it not only surprises and horrifies, it also gives the narrator (and reader) a thrill. Thus, the story’s conclusion punctuates its strange, unsettling allure.

The All-Consuming Nature of Jealousy

The tale of the young woman and the artist is a warning about the all-consuming nature of jealousy. The young woman starts off as beautiful, carefree, and joyous. She is filled with energy and life. After marrying the artist, however, she begins to feel jealous of his art and his devotion to it. She views his art as her rival, and this causes hatred to creep into her heart. She hates the time he spends on his art and even the instruments he uses to make it. It is the young woman’s jealousy that prompts her to agree to sit for her portrait. If not for her jealousy, the young woman might have either begged off or at least agreed to only sit for a reasonable amount of time. Instead, her jealousy and the resulting need to compete with Art for the artist’s attention causes her to sacrifice her body and her health, in an effort to prove she’s the more worthy of his love. The very end of the story powerfully symbolizes how utterly consumed by her jealousy the young woman has become. She has not only sacrificed her very life in this “competition,” but in a twist of irony she has also become the very thing she hated: a work of art. Jealousy has transformed her into a cold, dead painting that, while beautiful, stands as a warning of jealousy’s power to destroy.