The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

Short description

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' tells of a young man, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian's beauty and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new hedonism, Lord Henry suggests the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfillment of the senses. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian expresses a desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than he. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, plunging him into debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging.

Author Bio

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish wit, poet, and dramatist whose reputation rests on his only novel, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' (1891), and on his comic masterpieces 'Lady Windermere’s Fan' (1892) and 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (1895). He was a spokesman for the late 19th-century Aesthetic movement in England, which advocated art for art’s sake.