The Cruel Painter
The Cruel Painter is a novel by George MacDonald that explores themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption. The story follows the life of a young man named Adolphus who becomes obsessed with painting a portrait of his beloved, but ultimately realizes the true nature of love and forgiveness.
By George MacDonald · First published 1875 · Genre: Gothic Fiction, Fantasy, Horror · 15,779 words
First lines
Among the young men assembled at the University of Prague, in the year 159 -- , was one called Karl von Wolkenlicht. A somewhat careless student, he yet held a fair position in the estimation of both professors and men, because he could hardly look at a proposition without understanding it. Where such proposition, however, had to do with anything relating to the deeper insights of the nature, he was quite content that, for him, it should remain a proposition; which, however, he laid up in one of his mental cabinets, and was ready to reproduce at a moment's notice. This mental agility was more than matched by the corresponding corporeal excellence, and both aided in producing results in which his remarkable strength was equally apparent. In all games depending upon the combination of muscle and skill, he had scarce rivalry enough to keep him in practice.
What this Textopian page supports
The Cruel Painter is listed on Textopian as a short story by George MacDonald, dated 1875 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: George MacDonald
- Date: 1875 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Gothic Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Philosophical Fiction
- Length: 15,779 words
- Structure: 1 section, 169 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Cruel Painter by George MacDonald
- 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
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Cruel Painter?
- How does this short story by George MacDonald fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Gothic Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Gothic Fiction — The story features dark and mysterious elements, including a sinister painter and supernatural occurrences, typical of Gothic fiction.
- Fantasy — The narrative includes fantastical elements and a setting that departs from reality, aligning with the fantasy genre.
- Horror — The plot involves themes of fear, death, and the macabre, which are central to the horror genre.
- Romance — There are underlying romantic elements and relationships that influence the characters' motivations and actions.
Tags
art · imagination · creativity · suffering · redemption · morality · fantasy · allegory · character development · conflict · human nature · spirituality