Oscar Wilde's Aestheticism and Art for Art's Sake Movement, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica Oscar Wilde's Aestheticism and Art for Art's Sake Movement e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! AESTHETIC MOVEMENT, AESTHETICISM This movement marked the second half of the Victorian period. It developed all over Europe (in Italy we have D’Annunzio). Oscar Wilde was the father of the English aestheticism but it was born in France. They were against the conformism, stereotypes of their age but Dickens used newspapers to denounce. Both wanted to denounce their period but in a different way. Theophile Gautier was the father of aesthetic movement in Europe. It developed in universities and intellectual circles in the last decades of the 19th century, all the members (aesthete) were very cultured, learned people. They were rebels, opposed to their society (they felt a sense of frustration to live in their society which was a materialistic society) and against the restrictive moral code of the bourgeoisie (the individual was not free). Industrial cities were ugly, the materialist society was considered ugly. Their motto was “art for art’s sake” because they re-define the role of art. But what does it mean? The only aim of art was to create beautiful things. A lot of time art is used to talk about something else (denounce), according to the aesthete there is nothing outside of art. Looking for beauty was a way to criticize the ugliness of materialistic society and they “escape” into aesthetic isolation. So, beauty is an escape from the materialistic society, it’s a protest, an escape. Art has as its only end itself, the creation of beauty. They expressed this form of protest against conformism of middle-class in a different way compared to Dickens. It is also called art for art’s sake movement. Aesthetic movement in England Beauty is a reaction of the materialism (not external beauty). The learned man Walter Pater, a philosopher and writer, is considered the theorist of aesthetic movement in England. He wrote “studies in the history of the Renaissance”, he was a university professor and he was interested in past history, his work of art “Marius the Epicurean”. In architecture (new Gothic) a lot of architects (like Pugin) were interested in ancient time because they thought that in that period people gave more importance to spirituality rather than money (the contrary of materialism). So, for the same reason, Pater was interested in Renaissance (he opposed spirituality of the past to materialism of the present). Young people were attracted by his book (because young people were rebels) because of their subversive and potentially “demoralising” message. The young generation understood the aesthetic movement was against morality and materialism of their society. He rejected religious faith (rebellion against Victorian society) and he affirmed that art (the research of beauty) was the only way to stop time (by art, artists became immortal, their works remain forever and ever. Art was celebrated as the only way to stop time; art makes man immortal). So, life should be as a work of art, filling each moment with intense experience (this is in contrast with decor and balance), feeling all kind of sensation. So, art is a way to escape in the world of beauty from the materialism. OSCAR WILDE He was one of the most important representatives in aesthetic movement. Looking at him: he is nonconformist; he became really rich but mainly because he became very successful as a writer in England. He is wearing a fur-coat, a tie (not the typical tie but a silk-foulard), a white lily in the buttonhole. He uses to wear jacket (purple or white) in a very fashionable way, a velvet jacket. His style was unusual but precious and elegant. An aesthete is aesthete when he writes but also when he lives because life should be lived as a work of art (Oscar Wilde said “my life is my best work of art”) and it means searching for beauty every day. So, his house is full of beauty, carpets, perfume, flowers, incense, precious materials. Aesthete is who lives the life of beauty to escape from the materialistic society where the real beauty was lost. Like the romantics escaped in nature, they escape in the beauty. Aesthete: elegant, refined, nonconformist, a person to whom the searching of beauty is a way to escape from the conformism of his society. The way he dresses or the hairstyle is a way to rebel, to communicate what he wants (rebel against society) to people. He wants to communicate a message because looking extravagant people look at him. Oscar Wilde was defined as a (fashionable) dandy. The dandy is elegant and refined but rebel and nonconformist (the dandy is a rebel always). He was homosexual and he became the idol of the young generation. Young men were fascinated by him and they followed his style, he wasn’t admired only for his style but also because he was learned, charming, fascinated. Before he married a woman and had two children but at a certain point, he understands to be homosexual. During Victorian age being homosexual was illegal but as he was a person with personality decided to declare it. He was against conformism also in life and so, he declared to be homosexual. He lost everything, his family and he went to prison for three years of hard work because he had the courage to declare his homosexuality. The value of Oscar Wilde is that in his life he had the courage to go against the conformism no matter the consequences. He was against the hypocrisy of his age (Victorian age). Teaching from him: fight against hypocrisy. He was Irish, he was born in Dublin (1854-1900), he attended the trinity college (one of the most famous in Dublin), then he went to Oxford. He became a discipline of Walter Pater; he was attracted and he accepted the “art for art’s sake”. He became really successful in USA. He was married with Constance. He wrote only one novel (the picture of Dorian Gray), he is a playwright. He was very interested in classical literature. He did an American tour and he became really popular all over Europe. He was invited to give some lectures (lezioni universitarie) about aestheticism which had spread in Europe. American were very interested in this revolutionary movement. From the end of the twentieth century America becomes the new frontier of art so everything that was new and revolutionary in art was interesting for Americans. Europe had too much culture behind instead USA was a new country (with little and recent history) and this is why America was so open about what was new, avantgarde and revolutionary. He was one of the most successful playwrights and all people went to theatre to see his plays. He used irony (he was a satire writer) to denounce his society, the negative aspects of nobles and middle-class. He felt in love with Bosie “Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas”. He was much younger than Oscar Wilde and he belonged to an upper middle-class family. He was intelligent, learned, educated (all these things attracted Oscar Wilde) and his being nonconformist, rebel is a consequence of his intelligence. His father was an aristocratic belonging to more conformist middle-class, moralistic, rigid. So, when Oscar Wilde announced his love for Bosie, Bosie’s father accused Oscar of seducing his son into a sexual relationship. Bosie loved Oscar but the father couldn’t accept it. Then, Oscar was tried. Oscar lost everything (included his family); he was convicted of gross indecency of homosexual acts. He was sent to prison. This experience in prison for Oscar was terrible (because he was a Dandy) and he lived with murderers, criminals. He was intelligent and he used this experience to reflect and his reflections are recollected in a book “de profundis” which is a long letter to Bosie (his lover) when he was in prison. It is in the form of a letter but it is not a letter, it is a book of reflections upon life, it is a philosophical book: the first thing he realized is that all his friends abandoned him (he remained alone), included Bosie. The only person who continued to meet him in prison was his wife (she had asked the divorce but she was the only person who had understood and accepted that he was homosexual, he had understood that was nature, he didn’t want to offend her). When he came out from prison was an old and broken man. He was obligated to leave London (the v20: he was pleased of his work of art because it was beautiful. In the novel of Oscar Wilde are often present dialogues among the characters because he was a playwright. We know nothing about personality about characters: this is the difference between Dickens (third person narrator, obtrusive) and Oscar Wilde (third person narrator, unobtrusive). Only at the end we understand the personality of the characters but not because Oscar Wilde introduces her. v24: Lord Henry is the first to speak, he plays the role of critic (who can see beauty in beautiful things and can translate beauty in another language; he can see how beautiful is the portrait). Lord Henry suggests Basil to show the painting to the Grosvenor (small museum) because big museums are vulgar, too much people can see and according to Oscar Wilde art isn’t for everyone. Lord Henry talks through aphorisms (like Oscar Wilde; Lord Henry and Basil reflect Oscar Wilde). v26-27: paradox: if there are too much people you can’t see pictures but if there are too much pictures you run from one side to the other and you can’t see (in an appropriate way) any. So, Lord Henry is saying: is your most beautiful work and you have to expose it in a small museum where few people and cultured can see it and where there are few works so you can enjoy them to the fullest. v30: “at Oxford” so, he is cultured like Oscar Wilde Basil is extravagant, eccentric and nonconformist (like Oscar Wilde) Lord Henry smokes opium: in that period smoking gives the idea of nonconformism, rebellion (for women was an act of rebellion and independence, they smoke more than men). v35: aphorism and paradox: it makes us reflect about the relationship between artist and their being famous (popularity): artists do anything to be talked about but then they claim for their privacy and private life. A lot of artists go into depression when they stop being followed and when people stop talking about them. v37: very pungent irony. It’s better to be jealous than to feel nothing. This is the dialogue between the two main characters but we can deduce your personality from their words. Dorian appears in the second chapter. Every page of this book is a teaching, a reflection on life. QUESTION: would you be willing to give everything for anyone or anything? I would give my soul (second chapter) This passage is a monologue: Lord Henry is speaking to Dorian who doesn’t say one word. For the first time we meet Dorian. The sarcastic tone is typical of Lord Henry Wotton. He uses irony but sometimes he uses sarcasm which is another element which makes us think that Oscar Wilde is represented by Lord Henry Wotton. Oscar Wilde was a playwright and he uses irony and sarcasm v3: in that moment you will understand what means becoming old. Gray isn’t aware of his beauty, he is a teenager so, he isn’t convinced about what Lord Henry is saying to him. v5: beauty in life is more useful than genius because beauty doesn’t need explanation. v7: in the world who has beauty, has success. Oscar Wilde wants make us reflect: how is beauty important in our life also to become famous? Beauty is very useful for your future life. Lord Henry says: you take all for granted, when you are young you undervalue the things you have (like beauty) as if they would last forever; you understand their value when you lose them. Only when you lose something, you realise how important was for you. TEACHING: you are young, you have all but if you don’t realise it now you lose a lot of opportunities and when you will realise them it will be too late. v8-12: all paradoxes. The way you appear is the first impression others have of you. So, Lord Henry wants to destroy the hypocrisy of people who say not to judge by appearances. v11: life is complex. A lot of time is mystery because we don’t know why happens certain things. Life (what we see) is so complex that we don’t have time to look for what we don’t see. v12: “what the gods give they quickly take away” so, it means not to do nothing for granted. v13-14: you now think you’ll have this forever but time goes by fast so, you must live fully. Little by little Lord Henry is giving to Dorian a teaching of life. v14: beauty means: all the things of youth. v16-17: old people always talk about the past because they don’t have a future but the past triumphs are more bitter because they realise, they can’t get them back. Young people always talk about the future. So, Lord Henry is saying not to forget to live the present life. Lord Henry message: we think we can waste the now and now because there is the future (we think we are immortal) but if we are not aware that this will end, we risk to lose the present, not living it fully. v18: roses represent beauty and youth v19-20: we must recognise an opportunity when we have it and not when we lose it. Lord Henry puts Dorian in front of the great questions of life because he doesn’t want Dorian lose anything. v24: you don’t have to settle for a boring life. Don’t do what you don’t want to do. You are young, you don’t be afraid of anything. New Hedonism (is the new philosophy of life): search for a life that you like, a life that is not overwhelm by ignorant, stereotypes. So, aesthetes don’t search for a superficial beauty but searching for beauty means “live your life fully without masks”; so, they search for a philosophical beauty. Your life is beautiful if you live it fully and you are not afraid of anything. Lord Henry shows himself not only as an art critic but as something more. He is Dorian’s mentor (someone who leads someone to better understand himself, what you want from your future life). He tries to make Dorian aware of his beauty, of living each moment fully, he is a philosophy of life which is NEW HEDONISM: a way to live life to the fully. When you are young, you have to be brave to live life however you want and not how society wants you to live it. If we find a mentor in our life, we are very lucky. Walter Pater was a mentor to Oscar Wilde: he introduced him to a new philosophy (aestheticism) which will lead him all his life. Lord Henry can be identified with Walter Pater but also with Oscar Wilde because he was a mentor for a lot of young boys. New hedonism: looking for beauty as a way to live v27: being conscious of what you are: being aware of your potential, of what you really want, of what you want to become in your future life. Lord Henry says that Dorian is not aware of it. v28: sometimes is easier for another people to see what we are but it’s very difficult to know who we are … v29: he sees so much potential in him that he is afraid that they will be wasted. v31-33: very year the flower that loses the leaves and withers will return to bloom but we do not. The time of our youth will not return. In old age we become like puppets (guided by time) in which reside the ghosts of passions that we were afraid to live and that's why he says to live life to the full, full of passions, of beauty, of what you like otherwise you risk to live a grey life, free of passions that then in old age you will regret but it will be too late. The massage of “Carpe diem”: to not waste the time we are given we must be brave. Aesthetes: life full of passions, feelings, research of beauty. Dorian first reaction: he remains disoriented, he is shocked. He looks at his picture, when he looks it after the worlds of Lord Henry he realises that this is really beautiful. He is embarrassed but also pleased. The first reaction is happiness. The picture is like a mirror and this is an important symbol in the novel (Dorian looks at the picture and sees his beauty but it’s like he’s mirroring himself for the first time. The painting is Dorian’s mirror. Now, for the first time, Dorian looks at himself in the mirror. The first reaction is wonder. “revelation” key world: James Joyce (an important avant-garde writes) called this moment epiphany (the moment when you suddenly understand who you are and what you want). This moment may or may not happen (if it doesn’t happen, you’re living a meaningless life), sometimes it also happens thanks to a mentor or sometimes not. Basil: he had always admired him; he had always told him that he was beautiful but Dorian had not given him importance because he was his friend. He had never really thought of those words. Instead Lord Henry is a stranger, cultured, experienced and therefore gives a different weight to his words. v46-60: Dorian is thinking, he is not speaking. Main feeling here: he is afraid, he felt fear. Because after the words of Lord Henry he is shocked and then looking at his picture he starts to imagine when he will be old. He becomes fully aware that his beauty will not last forever. We always think about future and to have fun in the present but we never think about when we’ll get old. Dorian is afraid of getting old, of losing what he has now. Dorian isn’t listening but she keeps thinking about the loss of her beauty-. v78-90: art makes immortal the artist but also (in this case) the subject of the picture. Another key concept of aestheticism: art will remain beautiful forever. v87: Dorian would do anything to stay young forever, not to lose his youth. Dorian will remain young all his life and the portrait will become old in his place. Portrait will be ugly because he’ll do bad things and the painting will reflect them. Portrait: Dorian’s mirror, Dorian’s soul. The portrait is the real Dorian because Dorian is wearing the mask of youth. Portrait: Dorian’s alter-ego. Dorian wants to remain forever young because he is afraid that becoming old he will lose success, he is afraid of losing all. He is afraid because he thinks that losing his beauty he will be excluded by society. He uses mask because he is afraid of being excluded. He wears the mask of beauty but the portrait shows his soul. This novel is very autobiographical: - in the figure of Basil (he surrounds himself with beautiful things, he searches for beauty in every aspect) because we see the aesthetes (the ideas of Oscar Wilde about art and aestheticism), an artist who can realise beautiful work of art (like Oscar Wilde writes beautiful books: idea of perfection of art), his life is their work of art. - Lord Henry: learned, charismatic, a mentor to Dorian, he can see hypocrisy and contradictions of society, he can see the beauty of the portrait (like Oscar Wilde who can see the beauty and he was a mentor for a lot of young boys). And he talks using aphorism like Oscar Wilde. - Dorian: he is Oscar Wilde, what Oscar Wilde was not. Dorian is afraid of losing popularity by growing old and, for this reason, he wears a mask so that it does not happen. In the contrary Oscar Wilde was not afraid of losing everything and he decided not to wear a mask. Dorian represents the person who Oscar Wilde didn’t want to become. So, this novel is about Oscar Wilde, the way you must live the life, is a book about life. We never see Oscar Wilde (because the narrator is unobtrusive). Dorian could choose. Lord Henry tried to make him aware but now he has to decide, it’s up to him, it’s his own choice. Lord Henry said to him not to be afraid of nothing. But he will be afraid. When you are afraid, you realize you made a mistake. If you don’t accept who you are, you lose yourself. You are afraid and make mistakes but by doing in this way you lose yourself. Apparently, Dorian is beautiful but there is the portrait that really reflects who he is. there are many Dorians in our time (celebrities). **Dorian starts to live a dissolute life because he remains beautiful and young forever. The painting ages and takes on the likeness of a dissolute life, a life full of pleasure (but not in the way Lord Henry meant).