The Picture of Dorian Gray #1: Conclusions from Comparing Wilde and Basil

            In the first two chapters of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the reader is led to believe that Basil has homosexual feelings towards Dorian Gray, his favorite subject to paint.  Knowing that Wilde was tried for homosexual activity in England it seems logical that he would create a character with homosexual tendencies in his lone novel.  However, Basil, the character we can use to draw parallels to Wilde, says that an artist “should put nothing of his own life into” his art (Wilde 13).  This statement by Basil, when thought of in conjunction with Basil’s homosexual feelings and Wilde’s life creates a paradox.  Basil, an artist, does not believe that an artist should put their own life into their work.  However, Wilde, an artist of a different medium as well as a homosexual, inputs his own tendencies into the main character that he creates. This paradox begins to make some sense when Basil attempts to explain why he will not put his portrait of Dorian Gray on display: “there is too much of myself in that thing” (13).  Basil believes that his painting reflects too much of himself and will not let others enjoy it because it would go against his belief that artists should not be part of their art.  However, when comparing Basil to Wilde the reader realizes that although Wilde creates a character in Basil that would not publish a work of art that relates to the artists, Wilde himself published a work of art with fairly apparent connections to his life.  This contradiction created by Wilde’s actions and his character Basil’s actions leads to the conclusion that although not letting artwork reflect the artist may be ideal it is something that is extremely challenging and almost impossible to achieve.