A few weeks ago I put up an in progress shot of my next Edgar Allan Poe piece "The Oval Portrait." Since then I have worked at creating the image that will go into the frame. Here is the text that I was working with while coming up with the subject.
The portrait, I have already said, was that of a young girl. It was a mere head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed a vignette manner; much in the style of the favorite heads of Sully. The arms, the bosom, and even the ends of the radiant hair melted imperceptibly into the vague yet deep shadow which formed the back-ground of the whole."