18th and 19th centuries Goth subculture

mary shelley s frankenstein; or, modern prometheus (1818) has come define gothic fiction in romantic period. frontispiece 1831 edition shown.

gothic literature genre of fiction combines romance , dark elements produce mystery, suspense, terror, horror , supernatural. according david h. richter, settings framed take place @ …ruinous castles, gloomy churchyards, claustrophobic monasteries, , lonely mountain roads . typical characters consisted of cruel parent, sinister priest, courageous victor, , helpless heroine, along supernatural figures such demons, vampires, ghosts, , monsters. often, plot focused on characters ill-fated, internally conflicted, , innocently victimized harassing malicious figures. in addition dismal plot focuses, literary tradition of gothic focus on individual characters gradually going insane.

english author horace walpole, 1764 novel castle of otranto 1 of first writers explored genre. american revolutionary war-era american gothic story of headless horseman, immortalized in legend of sleepy hollow (published in 1820) washington irving, marked arrival in new world of dark, romantic storytelling. tale composed irving while living in england, , based on popular tales told colonial dutch settlers of hudson valley, new york. story adapted film in 1922, in 1949 animated adventures of ichabod , mr. toad, , again in 1999.

throughout evolution of goth subculture, classic romantic, gothic , horror literature has played significant role. e. t. a. hoffmann (1776–1822), edgar allan poe (1809–1849), charles baudelaire (1821–1867), h. p. lovecraft (1890–1937), , other tragic , romantic writers have become emblematic of subculture use of dark eyeliner or dressing in black. baudelaire, in fact, in preface les fleurs du mal (flowers of evil) penned lines serve sort of goth malediction:

visual art influences

ophelia (1851) john everett millais

the gothic subculture has influenced different artists—not musicians—but painters , photographers. in particular work based on mystic, morbid , romantic motifs. in photography , painting spectrum varies erotic artwork romantic images of vampires or ghosts. there marked preference dark colours , sentiments, similar gothic fiction. @ end of 19th century, painters john everett millais , john ruskin invented new kind of gothic.