[Frederic discovering the skeleton near the altar] [art original].

A scene from Horace Walpole's Gothic novel The castle of Otranto, with the character Frederic standing on the right in an oratory, leaning slightly backwards with a shocked expression on his face. Across the room from him on the left stands a skeleton wrapped in a hermit's cowl, its fleshless face visible within the hood and its bony legs and feet sticking out from under the cloak. Behind the skeleton is an altar on which two tall candlesticks and an open book sit; beyond the altar is a crucifix within an arched alcove. Behind Frederic on the right are columns with armorial shields mounted above; an arched window, a bench, and a painting on the wall complete the background