What Gothic novel features a portrait that ages instead of its subject?

The Gothic novel featuring a portrait that ages instead of its subject is Oscar Wilde's *The Picture of Dorian Gray*. Dorian Gray wishes that the painted image would grow old and bear the marks of his wrongdoing while he remains young and handsome.

The portrait was painted by Basil Hallward, whose artistic admiration for Dorian helps begin the story. Influenced by Lord Henry Wotton's hedonistic philosophy, Dorian pursues a life of pleasure and cruelty. Each moral corruption changes the portrait, while Dorian's outward appearance remains unchanged.

Wilde first published the work in 1890, then expanded and revised it for book publication in 1891. The portrait is not simply a supernatural prop: it acts as a visible record of Dorian's conscience and hidden character. A frequent mix-up is confusing it with Edgar Allan Poe's “The Oval Portrait,” another Gothic work involving a painting, but not the same novel or premise.