The Picture in the House
A narrator recounts a story about an old man who lives alone in a remote house with his wife. The couple's isolation and eccentricity are highlighted through their strange behavior and the narrator's observations. The old man is particularly notable for his fascination with ancient artifacts, which he displays prominently throughout the house. He also has a peculiar habit of staring at the narrator with an unnerving intensity. One evening, while exploring the house, the narrator stumbles upon an ancient manuscript that contains a disturbing image. The image depicts a grotesque and inhuman creature, which seems to be gazing back at the narrator. As the night wears on, the narrator becomes increasingly unsettled by the old man's behavior and the strange atmosphere of the house. He begins to suspect that the old man is not what he appears to be. The story builds towards a climactic confrontation between the narrator and the old man, which ultimately reveals the dark truth about their relationship and the true nature of the creature depicted in the manuscript.
By H.P. Lovecraft · First published 1920 · Genre: Horror, Gothic Fiction, Weird Fiction · 3,758 words
First lines
Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places. For them are the catacombs of Ptolemais, and the carven mausolea of the nightmare countries. They climb to the moonlit towers of ruined Rhine castles, and falter down black cobwebbed steps beneath the scattered stones of forgotten cities in Asia. The haunted wood and the desolate mountain are their shrines, and they linger around the sinister monoliths on uninhabited islands. But the true epicure in the terrible, to whom a new thrill of unutterable ghastliness is the chief end and justification of existence, esteems most of all the ancient, lonely farmhouses of backwoods New England; for there the dark elements of strength, solitude, grotesqueness, and ignorance combine to form the perfection of the hideous.
What this Textopian page supports
The Picture in the House is listed on Textopian as a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, dated 1920 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: H.P. Lovecraft
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Gothic Fiction, Weird Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Psychological Thriller
- Length: 3,758 words
- Structure: 1 section, 23 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Picture in the House by H.P. Lovecraft
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Picture in the House?
- How does this short story by H.P. Lovecraft fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Thing On The Doorstep by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Hound by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Shunned House by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Tomb by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Terrible Old Man by H. P. Lovecraft
- In The Vault by H. P. Lovecraft
Genres
- Horror — The story embodies elements of fear, dread, and the grotesque, central to the horror genre.
- Gothic Fiction — The setting features an ancient, decaying house and themes of isolation and madness, typical of Gothic literature.
- Weird Fiction — The narrative includes bizarre and supernatural elements that defy conventional reality, characteristic of weird fiction.
- Dark Fantasy — The blending of horror with fantastical elements, such as the grotesque illustrations and the old man's disturbing fascination, aligns with dark fantasy.
Tags
Horror · Supernatural Fiction · Gothic Fiction · Dark Fantasy · Short Story · Atmospheric Setting · Isolation · Descent into Madness · Cthulhu Mythos · Ancient Evil · Rural Horror · New England Gothic