Aestheticism and Oscar Wilde: The Pursuit of Beauty and Individualism, Schemi e mappe concettuali di Inglese

Scarica Aestheticism and Oscar Wilde: The Pursuit of Beauty and Individualism e più Schemi e mappe concettuali in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! AESTHETICISM Aestheticism is a literary, artistic and cultural movement emerged in the 19th century as a reaction against the prevailing Victorian values and societal norms. This movement questioned the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and wanted a return to beauty, individualism, and personal freedom. It sought to transcend the limitations of reality and to reach the finest sensations hidden in art through sensory pleasure and emotional impact in a sort of ascetic hedonism. It celebrated "art for art's sake", a concept introduced by Theophile Gautier which emphasize the pursuit of beauty, superior and disregarding morality, and the rejection of utilitarian concerns. Aestheticism states the sovereignty of beauty and glorifies “the beautiful with reckless and blasphemous ardour” shocking the bourgeois moralism and materialistic principles of its time, leaving a lasting impact on the literary and artistic landscape. In England this artistic current reaches its highest level in 1890s. Despite the leader of Aestheticism was the artist Aubrey Beardsley who gave expression to the “decadent mood”, the most famous of English aestheticism was Oscar Wilde, who saw art and beauty as the highest ideal to pursue and the ultimate aim of life. OSCAR WILDE Oscar Wilde was the most important exponent of English Aestheticism. He was born in Dublin in 1854. He attended Trinity College, then Oxford, where he distinguished for its eccentricity. He became a disciple of Walter Pater, following the concept of “art for art’s sake”, which emphasize the pursuit of beauty and the rejection of utilitarian concerns and bourgeois moralism. He soon became a celebrity for his extraordinary wit and his elegant style as a “dandy”, which defined an individualist personality who demands absolute freedom and superiority of spirit. Second Wilde, life was meant for pleasure and find its sense in beauty, superior to every moral stance, which creates the relationship between painting, sculpture and poetry (different forms of the same truths). To him, the artist is the creator of beautiful things and employs in his works virtues and vices as raw instruments, without any ethical sympathy, which would be “an unpardonable mannerism of style”. In 1881 he wrote Poems and became a great speaker, undertaking tours in USA and London: his presence was a very engaging social event. In the late 1880s he published a series of short stories, such as The Canterville Ghost, and his first and only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. In the late 1890s he produced a series of plays, which were so successful in London stage. He suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned after been condemned of ‘gross indecency’ for homosexual acts. When he was released, he was a broken man. Refused by his wife, he went in exile in Paris, where he died in poverty in 1900. THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde tells the story of a young and attractive man named Dorian Gray. He meets Basil Hallward, an artist who becomes infatuated with Dorian’s beauty and paints his portrait. Then he meets Lord Henry Wotton, a hedonistic and cynical aristocrat who influences Dorian with his philosophy of pursuing pleasure and indulging in every desire. As Dorian admires his portrait, he wishes he could remain young and beautiful while the picture ages and bears the burden of his sins: so it was, he sold his soul to the devil and his wish was granted. Following Lord Henry’s style, Dorian immerses himself in a life of dissolution and hedonistic vice. Throughout he follows these immoral pleasures and commits act of cruelty, Dorian's portrait continues to deteriorate, reflecting the true state of his soul. Haunted by the grotesque image of his portrait, Dorian tries to reform himself by pursuing virtuous actions, but it proves futile, the corruption of his spirit is too deep-rooted. When Basil sees the disgusting and festering version of Dorian in the painting, intimate him to repent, but Dorian in a fit of rage murder the artist. Dorian can no longer bear the sight of his own portrait and, in a fit of rage and desperation, he stabs the portrait. This lead to his own death while the portrait regains its original youth and beauty. Dorian’s picture returned untouched, while his body is aged and withered, showing the deep contrast between his external beauty and the true nature of his soul. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" treats themes of beauty, morality, and the consequences of indulging in one's desires without regard for the ethical implications. It reflects Oscar Wilde life, and it was considered immoral by the Victorian critique. This novel explores the dualism between the appearance and the real nature of human beings: the picture of Dorian Gray is the mirror of the corruption, the horrors and the sins of his soul, concealed under the mask of his timeless beauty, and represents the dark side of Dorian’s personality which he tries to hide away. Because of the unobtrusive third person narrator and the internal perspective, the reader can establish a process of identification with Dorian’s character. The moral of the novel is that sooner or later everyone must face the reality and deal with his own actions. Through Lord Henry’s character the novel also critiques the hypocrisy of society and denies the bourgeois idea that external appearances are a true reflection of one's character, emphasizing the importance of inner virtue and moral conscience. Basil, instead, represents the good artist who is destroyed in a sacrifice for art. ● The Preface The preface of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" holds significant importance in relation to the story. It outlines the author's aesthetic principles in line with the concept of art for art's sake, and his extraordinary and provoking wit and personality. In the preface, Wilde argues against the prevailing Victorian expectation that art should serve as a tool for moral improvement or social reform. He asserts that the value of a work of art must lie in its artistic merit and its ability to evoke emotional and aesthetic responses. He states that "there is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all." Wilde sets the tone for the novel itself, which explores the tension between beauty and morality. Dorian Gray, the protagonist, embodies the pursuit of hedonistic pleasure while disregarding ethical considerations. The preface provides a theoretical foundation for the narrative, as Wilde invites readers to engage with the story from an aesthetic point of view. ● Beauty is the wonder of wonders In "The Picture of Dorian Gray," there is a notable passage where Lord Henry Wotton declares, "Beauty is the wonder of wonders. It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances." This statement reflects Lord Henry's hedonistic worldview, which represents the influence of aestheticism in the novel. He emphasizes the importance of external beauty and his perspective aligns with the novel's exploration of the dangers of superficiality and the pursuit of pleasure without regard for ethical considerations. Lord Henry believes that beauty is the ultimate virtue and its pursuit resolves in pleasure.