Saturday, April 7, 2012

"Art for Art's sake"



“Art never expresses anything but itself. This is the principle of my new aesthetics.” Wilde

As I was reading “The Picture of Dorian Gray” I became curious to know more about the aesthetic philosophy and the literary movement that was in effect in late nineteenth-century Britain. I found many interesting articles that showed me the direct influence that aestheticism had on Oscar Wilde. With the influence of his poetry and plays, Wilde was known to be “a major spokesman for the Aesthetic Movement”.

The term “aestheticism” derives from Greek, meaning “perceiving through senses” A doctrine which holds aesthetics or beauty as the highest ideal or most basic standard. According to the Aesthetic Movement, art justifies its own existence by expressing and embodying beauty. Aestheticism was in complete opposition to the prevailing Victorian mentality, with its emphasis on hard work, moral earnestness, and material success, aestheticism on the other hand emphasized the fleeting nature of life and argued that the most important thing was to relish the exquisite sensations life brings, especially those stimulated by a work of art. The aim was to be fully present and to live vividly in each passing moment. (Anderson )

In the novel Dorian Gray a young, innocent, beautiful boy is introduced and corrupted by Lord Henry Wotton’s introduction of the principles of hedonism and aestheticism. His corruption starts with the extreme admiration of Basil and fuel is set to the fire by Lord Henry who tells young Dorian Gray that “youth is the only thing worth having” and that ”Beauty is a form of Genius- is higher, indeed than Genius, as it needs no explanation” basically saying that when beauty and youth go, by natural age, he will discover that there will be nothing left for him. This put immense fear into Dorian, which caused him to make the wish of him staying always young and the painting to age.

His search for pleasure and obsession with esthetics ruined his soul and some of the lives that he encountered.   




Anderson , Anne. "Oscar Wilde and the Aesthetic Movement, and the Cult of Beauty in Art and Design." Cranleigh Decorative & Fine Arts Society.

1 comment:

  1. That is helpful background on the Aesthetic movement, Anja.

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