Aestheticism and the Picture of Dorian Gray Aestheticism is the belief of art existing for arts sake and

evaluating art from its surface and only its surface. An important aspect of this belief is its devotion to beauty. As an innovator of the Aesthetic Movement, Oscar Wilde produces a variety of books and plays featuring the idea of Aestheticism. One of his works, The Picture of Dorian Gray, contains a variety of situations that either overturn or uphold the ideals of Aestheticism. The main character of the story, Dorian Gray, is conflicted by the presence of a work of art that reflects his soul. Under the influence of Lord Henry, a gentleman with Aesthetic ideals, Dorian slowly loses his sanity throughout the story. As stated in Oscar Wildes The Preface, all art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril (vii). Concerning the situations in the book that uphold or overturn the ideals of Aestheticism, The Picture of Dorian Gray ultimately supports the ideals of Aestheticism. Lord Henry, a supporting character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, bears a heavy influence on Dorian Gray. I respect Lord Henry for his personality of being a relaxing, intellectual gentleman. Throughout the story, Lord Henry frequently expresses his Aesthetic ideals to Dorian. Near the beginning of the story, Henry speaks to Dorian about his gift [from the gods] (Wilde 16), Beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearancesMr. Gray, the gods have been good to you. But what the gods give they quickly take away. You have only a few years in which to live really, perfectly, and fully. When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will suddenly discover that there are no triumphs left for you (Wilde 16).

In this passage, Henry tells Dorian that his beauty will not last forever, and he only has a few years to live with his life to the fullest as a beautiful person. Once Dorian grows old and wrinkled, he will realize that life is worth nothing without beauty. This scene strongly supports the Aesthetic worship of beauty. Basil Hallward is an artist who simply adores Dorian Gray. In the earlier stages of the book, Basil paints a portrait of Dorian and gives it to him. This portrait has a significant role in the story, as it [reflects Dorians] soul (Wilde 66). Under influence of a book Henry lent to him, Dorian lets himself acquaint with every vice and virtue over a course of 18 years. Dorian is heavily disturbed by the presence of the painting and hides it in an unused room in his house. He ponders about changes in the painting and worries himself over the idea of the painting growing hideous as he commits sins. When Sibyl Vane commits suicide because Dorian leaves her due to her poor acting a night before, Dorian sees that the portrait of him alters and ponders: But the picture? What was he to say of that? It held the secret of his life, and told his story. It had taught him to love his own beauty. Would it teach him to loathe his own soul? Would he ever look at it again? (Wilde 67). In this quote, Dorian expresses his anguish over the idea of the painting reflecting his own soul. These thoughts that Dorian has contradicts the idea of Aestheticism, as Dorian is trying to look at art underneath its surface. Eventually, this leads to his demise. At the end of the story, Dorian Gray dies as he proceeds to kill the past by stab[bing] the picture with [the knife] (Wilde 164). This upholds the Aesthetic ideal of Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril (Wilde vii). Lord Henry believes that art has no influence over anyone, which is an Aesthetic ideal. When Dorian complains about being influenced to sin by the book that Lord Henry lent him, Henry replies that, As for being poisoned by a book, there is no such thing as that. Art has no

influence upon action. It annihilates the desire to act. It is superbly sterile (Wilde 161). In this passage, Henry says that art has no influence upon action and explains to Dorian that Dorian committed sins under his own will, not by a book. The belief Henry has that art has no influence on a persons actions upholds the Aesthetic ideal of art for arts sake. As you can see, The Picture of Dorian Gray ultimately supports Aestheticism. The story tells of a main character, Dorian Gray, who meets his demise when taking in a deeper understanding of an artwork. Lord Henry, a supporting character in the story, constantly expresses his Aesthetic ideals of beauty to the main character of the wonders of beauty. These situations support the Aesthetic ideals of art existing for arts sake, those who look beneath the surface do so at their own peril (vii), and devotion to beauty. Having such emphasis on Aestheticism, this led me to conclude that the story ultimately upholds the ideals of Aestheticism.

Works Cited
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Dover Thrift Editions, 1993. Print. Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media "Style Guide: Aestheticism. "Victoria and Albert Museum, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.