Aestheticism In Oscar Wilde's The Picture Of Dorian Gray

INTRODUCTION Aestheticism, which found its footing in Europe in the early nineteenth century, proposed that art ‘need not serve moral, political, or otherwise didactic ends.’ Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde was a dramatic leader in promoting the movement near the end of the nineteenth century. The English essayist Walter Pater, an advocate of "art for art's sake," helped to form society’s aesthetics in which they was more concerned with the self, than with popular movements like Industrialism

expression, but also one of social advancement. With this idea at its forefront, art suddenly inundated places where art was never previously found, such as social education and morality. In contrast, Oscar Wilde was a key advocate of an idea known aestheticism, a concept that relied on art simply being art. Oscar Wilde played a major role in Victorian England, having a major influence through his writing. At its peak "the movement had a disdain for any traditional, natural, political, or moral ideals; rather

Oscar Wilde was a known supporter of Aestheticism, a movement in which there are no morals to be found in art and where life is meant to be lived in pursuit of passion with no room or regard for moral uprightness. Wilde lived a very flamboyant life, and most critics would agree that his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, highlights this lifestyle which focuses on surrendering to one’s temptations. A closer look at the work, however, instead brings the reader to a different conclusion. The harrowing

members of society affirmed this belief. Among them was notorious author and playwright, Oscar Wilde. Wilde was a known supporter of Aestheticism, a movement in which there are no morals to be found in art and where life is meant to be lived in pursuit of passion with no room or regard for moral uprightness. Wilde lived a very flamboyant life, and most critics would agree that his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, highlights this lifestyle which focuses on surrendering to one’s temptations. A closer

Michelle Huynh ENGL 1301.002 Rhetorical Analysis (Final Copy) October 23, 2017 Rhetorical Analysis of “Oscar Wilde’s Aesthetic Gothic: Walter Pater, Dark Enlightenment, and The Picture of Dorian Gray” In “Oscar Wilde’s Aesthetic Gothic: Walter Pater, Dark Enlightenment, and The Picture of Dorian Gray,” John Paul Riquelme explores the contradicting perspectives of Oscar Wilde and Walter Pater on aestheticism. The author discusses the concept of aesthetic gothic and discovering beauty within darkness. Thereupon

their muse. Oscar Wilde was no exception. In creating the story of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde used his experience of sitting in on a painting session, done by a Basil Ward. He then proceeded to comment on how it would be amazing if the painting aged while the subject of the painting did not. Throughout the novel, we notice this kind of lifestyle being lived out by Dorian and Lord Henry, but we also see how Dorian handles his conscience based on his actions. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Corruption Through Aestheticism The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is the story of moral corruption by the means of aestheticism. In the novel, the well meaning artist Basil Hallward presets young Dorian Gray with a portrait of himself. After conversing with cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian makes a wish which dreadfully affects his life forever. "If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that I would give everything

celebrity I find that it is inevitable to avoid being a part of some sort of controversy. At the height of Oscar Wilde’s career is where he found himself in just that. Although Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is praised today, in the late 1800s it was seen by others as a negative shift in society and literature. In the film “Wilde”, after the release of The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde’s wife Constance and his mother Jane have a conversation in regards to the novel that gives insight to how

by Oscar Wilde in the preface to his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (3). Along with the rest of Wilde’s preface, this sentence rebukes literary realism in favor of aestheticism. This is unsurprising to anyone who is familiar with the playwright’s other plays and lectures; Wilde was an avid opponent of realism and a firm believer in the concept of “art for art’s sake.” Critic Elizabeth Prettejohn claims that aestheticism includes a focus on the visual elements of a piece of art. Oscar Wilde

Background Information: Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, son of William and Jane Wilde, was born October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. Wilde was born into a well educated and literate family, as his father was an ear and eye surgeon who had written multiple books during his practice. His mother was also a writer; she wrote articles relating to Irish nationalism, the rights of women along with multiple poems, essays, and stories (Shuman). Oscar excelled in school and received multiple recognitions