dorian

"Noi affermiamo che la magnificenza del mondo si è arricchita di una bellezza nuova; la bellezza della velocità. Un automobile da corsa col suo cofano adorno di grossi tubi simili a serpenti dall'alito esplosivo... un automobile ruggente, che sembra correre sulla mitraglia, è più bello della Vittoria di Samotracia."

Arte, prima guerra mondiale

Forme uniche della continuità nello spazio, Umberto Boccioni

Basil Hallward: "He is all my art to me now"

Aubrey Beardsley's Salomé series, 1890s

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

The narration begins in Basil's studio- He is working on a friend's portrait = Dorian Gray

“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”

Basil's description of him intrigues Lord Herny

"You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit."

Fascinated by Lord Herny's speeches, Dorian becomes aware of his beauty and he understands that it is something limited which won't last forever

"Some things are more precious because they don't last long."

Harmony in White and Blue, James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Basil wishes the portrait to grow old instead of Dorian himself in order to preserve his beauty

Dorian finds new hobbies such as theatre = Sybil Vane

He mistreats her and their relationship ends very soon

"When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance."

Dorian notices that his portrait has changed even if he looks the same. It gets worse with every bad action= Basil's desire had come true

William Morris Pattern

The discrepacy between Dorian and his picture is remarkable

It gets more and more ugly as the guy hides it

Dorian meets Basil after a long time

He shows him the portrait but he loses his mind and he murders him

The boy realizes all the bad things he has done. He wants to confess and change his life but he loses control and destroys the canvas without realizing that he is destroying himself as well

Ophelia, Sir John Everett Millais

ONE OF THE BEST WORKS OF LITERATURE EVER WRITTEN

The soul is a terrible reality. It can be bought and sold and bartered away."

psychological analysis

darkest corners of the human soul

Unique insights into the nature of classical painting

one of the greatest works of art

The taverns of the port

Good London Society

Victorian Period

The studio of the painter Basil Hallaward

Lord Henry Wotton

Dorian's House

Highly acclaimed style

Thoughful and poetic language Sharp and witty dialogue

Classical book that truly captures the power of literatture Deeper Reflection.

Basil Hallward: "An artist should create beautiful things but should put nothing of his own life into them"

Aestheticism

Dolce far niente, Charles Edward Perugini

"Art for art's sake"

Aestheticism, the artistic movement

flourished in Britain in the 1870s and 1880s and was important equally in fine and applied arts. The aesthetic movement drew inspiration from French impressionist painters, Japanese culture and art, and early Renaissance art. This sensitivity to a wide array of art forms made the movement even more eclectic in style.In applied arts it can be seen as part of the revolution in design initiated by William Morris, with the foundation of Morris & Co in 1862. From 1875 the ideals of aestheticism were commercialised by the Liberty store in London, which later also popularised art nouveau.

“All art is quite useless”

works of art should be judged only for their beauty

Aestheticism advocated whatever behavior was likely to maximize the beauty and happiness and there is no distinction between moral and immoral acts, only between those that increase or decrease one’s happiness

Caricature of Oscar Wilde as Narcissus

Dorian pursues Sibyl from first sight, intent on acquiring her before he even attempts to truly get to know her. Dorian’s love for Sibyl is overtly superficial

“I loved you because you were marvelous, because you had genius and intellect, because you realized the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the shadows of art”

“Without your art, you are nothing”

Girl reading, Charles Edward Perugini

In his pursuit of his own pleasures, a distinctly narcissistic attitude emerges.

Dorian sinks into the depths of narcissism, he maintains his external beauty, and his portrait degenerates instead.

“it was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was”

Arrangement in grey: Portrait of the Painter, James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Beauty, youth and death

Dorian’s beauty is such that people are astonished by it and all of his advantages seem to come from it, even if he has got an interesting personality and wealth.

The picture suddenly seems to mock him for not being immortal.

Mortality doesn't just destroy beauty and youth, it makes them things to obsess over because eventually they will be destroyed.

Dorian, meanwhile, is saved from aging by the supernatural transformation of his portrait and this seems to drive Dorian to try to experience every kind of excess, to not care about consequences, to destroy lovers and friends through his influence.

Symphony in White: Little white girl, James Abbott McNeill Whistler

One affect the other

The power of one to affect another is a theme that pervades the novel.

In fact the whole course of events can be viewed as a series of domino-like influences.

Influence is also shown in the novel as a persuasive power.

Christophe Dresser's Print

William Morris's Print

A White Note, James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Crepuscule, James Abbott McNeill Whistler