<Tr> <Th> Publication date </Th> <Td> April 1842 </Td> </Tr> <P> "The Oval Portrait" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe involving the disturbing circumstances surrounding a portrait in a chateau . It is one of his shortest stories, filling only two pages in its initial publication in 1842 . </P> <P> The tale begins with an injured narrator (the story offers no further explanation of his or her impairment) seeking refuge in an abandoned mansion in the Apennines . The narrator spends his or her time admiring the paintings that decorate the strangely shaped room and perusing a volume, found upon a pillow, that describes them . </P> <P> Upon moving the candle closer to the book, the narrator immediately discovers a before - unnoticed painting depicting the head and shoulders of a young girl . The picture inexplicably enthralls the narrator "for an hour perhaps". After steady reflection, he or she realizes that the painting's "absolute life - likeliness' of expression is the captivating feature . The narrator eagerly consults the book for an explanation of the picture . The remainder of the story henceforth is a quote from this book--a story within a story . </P>

Summary of the oval portrait by edgar allan poe