Short Fiction · Chapter
XXVI explained
The narrator, now calmer, reflects on two portraits in his gallery: one of Raphael and one of his mistress.
What happens
The narrator, now calmer, reflects on two portraits in his gallery: one of Raphael and one of his mistress. He admires Raphael's genius but condemns the woman for his premature death, while his soul's companion sympathizes with her. A dialogue between his soul and his senses nearly leads to the senses prevailing, saved only by the soul's abrupt closure of the inspection.
Themes in this chapter
The Self and Duality
The narrator describes a dialogue between his soul and its companion (his senses), representing an internal conflict between reason and passion.
Love and Loss
The narrator reflects on Raphael's premature death caused by his love for his mistress, highlighting the loss of artistic genius due to romantic attachment.
Characters to notice
- Raphael
The narrator examines Raphael's portrait, praising his genius and condemning his mistress for his early death.
Key passages
“When I examine the portrait of Raphael, I feel myself penetrated by an almost religious respect for that great man, who, in the flower of his age, excelled the ancients, and whose pictures are at once the admiration and the despair of modern artists.”
Looking at Raphael's portrait fills me with a reverent awe for this young genius who surpassed the ancients and whose works both inspire and dishearten contemporary artists.
The narrator expresses deep admiration for Raphael's artistic achievement and his lasting influence.
“Unhappy one! Knewest thou not that Raphael had announced a picture superior even to that of the Transfiguration ? Didst thou not know that thine arms encircled the favorite of nature, the father of enthusiasm, a sublime genius a divinity?”
Wretched woman! Did you not know Raphael had promised a painting greater than the Transfiguration? Were you unaware that you held in your arms nature's chosen one, the source of inspiration, a divine genius?
The narrator reproaches Raphael's mistress for causing his death and robbing the world of his future masterpieces.