In the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
talks about his views about art. Wilde,
an artist himself, begins the preface by saying that “the artist is the creator
of beautiful things” (Wilde 1). However,
he ends the preface by stating “All art is quite useless” (2).
These statements create a paradox where an artist says that art is
useless, no matter how beautiful. The
second to last sentence of the preface serves to provide an explanation for the
paradox by stating that “the only excuse for making a useless thing is that one
admires it intensely” (2). Wilde believes that the sole purpose of art is to be
admired.
Understanding Wilde’s aesthetic
philosophy helps to break down his tone towards the audience as well. Wilde believes that all art is beautiful and
that “those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without
being charming [and] … those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things
are the cultivated” (1). Wilde also says
that “all art is at once surface and symbol” (2). These quotes inform the reader that Wilde
believes that his novel, like all pieces of art, has a deeper meaning that what
is presented on the surface but he knows that not all readers will be able to
grasp the inner meaning. Wilde feels as
if those able to interpret the inner meanings of art correctly are part of a
higher more cultivated part of society whereas those not able to see the beauty
in art are part of a lower more flawed part of society. Wilde only has respect for those readers that
see the beauty in his work as opposed to those who cannot.
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