(263 words) Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's work “Portrait”, as you know, is included in the series “Petersburg Tales”. In each of the short stories, the author draws an image of St. Petersburg, which allegedly participates in the life of the heroes along with the people around them. In a city close and familiar to N.V. Gogol, a young artist Chartkov grew up. He is poor, but talented, passionate about art. How not to learn to appreciate the beauty in St. Petersburg! The palaces in the haze of fog, the bridges trembling in the air, the light of old lamps, the swift flight of carriages leave no one indifferent ...
But at the same time, Gogol's Petersburg is a faceless city. Its inhabitants are always in a hurry, in a hurry. They see true happiness in wealth, seek to get more money by any means. Talent in such an atmosphere is not easy to develop. Petersburg suppresses someone with its greatness, secular society simply does not notice someone. Art lovers applaud foreign “artisans” and do not recognize inspired little-known artists.
Interestingly, in Gogol’s work there is only one surname - Chartkov. We do not know the names of other heroes. Most likely, the artist would have remained anonymous if the author did not want to show Petersburg from the mystical side. In it happen unexplained from a scientific point of view of history. So, a portrait bought by an artist in a shop turns out to be endowed with evil spells. The master, it seems, put his whole soul into him ... But the sense of beauty turned into something supernatural. Having captured the picture, Chartkov begins to draw according to patterns and becomes rich as if by magic, but a miracle turns into a catastrophe. The artist is going crazy. He loses his soul even earlier than the mind ...
There is also a bright beginning in the story - the image of an artist from Kolomna who wants to destroy an ominous portrait painted by his father. And he also ends up in St. Petersburg. Anything can happen in a mysterious city. But still, people often turn out to be strong enough to dispel the evil spell of wealth and appreciate the beauty.
