A Portrait in the National Gallery
A Portrait in the National Gallery by Charles Kingsley: The novel follows the story of a young artist named Felix Holt, who is struggling to find his place in the world after being disinherited by his father. He becomes obsessed with creating a portrait of a woman he sees in the National Gallery, and his fixation leads him on a journey of self-discovery and redemption.
By Charles Kingsley · First published 1856 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Culture · 2,299 words
First lines
"Any one who goes to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, may see two large and beautiful pictures -- the nearer of the two labelled 'Titian,' representing Bacchus leaping from a car drawn by leopards. The other, labelled 'Francia,' representing the Holy Family seated on a sort of throne, with several figures arranged below -- one of them a man pierced with arrows. Between these two, low down, hangs a small picture, about two feet square, containing only the portrait of an old man, in a white cap and robe, and labelled on the picture itself, '_Joannes Bellinus_. ' Now this old man is a very ancient friend of mine, and has comforted my heart, and preached me a sharp sermon, too, many a time. I never enter that gallery without having five minutes' converse with him; and yet he has been dead at least three hundred years, and, what is more, I don't even know his name. But what more do I know of a man by knowing his name?
What this Textopian page supports
A Portrait in the National Gallery is listed on Textopian as an essay by Charles Kingsley, dated 1856 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Charles Kingsley
- Date: 1856 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Culture, Drama
- Length: 2,299 words
- Structure: 1 section, 15 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Portrait in the National Gallery by Charles Kingsley
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
- The Story Of A Picture by Douglass Sherley
- Picture Galleries by Charles Kingsley
- On Exhibition by Rudyard Kipling
- A Northern Raphael by Sabine Baring Gould
- A Post Impressionist by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Beldonald Holbein by Henry James
Genres
- Historical Fiction — Charles Kingsley was known for his historical novels. Considering the title refers to a 'portrait in the National Gallery', it is likely that this novel explores a historical period or event.
- Mystery — The 'portrait in the National Gallery' could suggest an element of intrigue or mystery surrounding this artwork, leading to this genre categorization.
- Culture — The 'National Gallery' is a key cultural institution, hinting at themes of culture and art history.
- Drama — Charles Kingsley's work often contains elements of interpersonal conflict and dramatic narrative, which fits within the drama genre.
Tags
art · gallery · portrait · national · culture · history · identity · society · critique · aesthetics · representation · visual