The Importance Of Art By Oscar Wilde - 785 Words

Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art† (Wilde 2) and Wilde approached the same in bold and direct ways. In one of his most famous lines, Wilde sets the ground for his novel â€Å"there is no such thing as a moral or immoral book†. When his novel was published in the year 1890, it faced much controversies and condemn. Wilde was charged for corrupting the youth with the ideas of homosexuality and licentiousness. Despite the audacious narrative, Wilde conformed to his beliefs that art should hold an individual position and not be charged with the duty to preach morality. He disagreed to the expectations from an artist to be moralistic and produce art that was only virtuous. He rather went by the notion that â€Å"an ethical sympathy in†¦show more content†¦Religion took a cardinal role in the political and social aspects of life. Thus, there was heavy influence of religion in art. Several works of art from the age have stood out because of their r eligious symbolism. The most identifying work among these is Leonado da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’. Various sculptures, murals and paintings represented in architecture have carried high symbolic value. What can be said to be one of his most eminent lines, Wilde ends the preface of the novel with the line â€Å"All art is quite useless†. The alerting statement raised much inquisitions. The answer to the same was provided by Wilde himself his letter to a man named Bernulf Clegg. The excerpts are as follows: â€Å"Art is useless because its aim is simply to create a mood. It is not meant to instruct, or to influence action in any way. It is superbly sterile, and the note of its pleasure is sterility.† In the letter he further explains his statement with an analogy. He compares art to a flower, which he terms useless as well for the flower blossoms for its own joy. The flower is complete in itself. The spectator only gains a moment of joy by looking at it. He further explores that a man may sell the flower but that makes it useful to him, but that does not have anything to do with the flower. Thus, Wilde entitles art with an individual standing. In the same letter Wilde states â€Å"If the contemplation of a work of art isShow MoreRelatedThe Misunderstood Legacy of Oscar Wilde Essay1663 Words   |  7 PagesThe Misunderstood Legacy of Oscar Wilde Surrounded by scandal caused by his own deception, Oscar Wilde left this world with a legacy of often misunderstood wit, a brilliant collection of writing, and sordid tales of an extramarital homosexual affair. The playwright progressed from a fashionable, flippant fop immersed in London society to a man broken by the public discovery of his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. In his prime, Oscar Wilde was a social butterfly, admired and acceptedRead More Oscar Wilde Art Essay1488 Words   |  6 PagesOscar Wilde Art We begin another chapter in the life of Oscar Wilde, the year 1888, many things have taken place, Oscar has been married and bore two children, Vyvyan and Cyril and his touring of the United States and other countries have brought forth success to the literary giant. Some of his successful writings are The Picture of Dorian Gray(1891), A Woman of No Importance(1894) and his most resent essay known The Decay of Lying. 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We must negate and refuse participation in commodity culture; become unattached and unbiased – create an individualized meaning of ourselves and articulate our beliefs. (Ryan 117). We began this semester with the critical lens originallyRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest Focus On The Lives Of Men1609 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature, like any art discipline, has its’ notable players and its’ cult heroes. William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde could not be any more different from one another as far as their writings go and even more so with their personalities. Of course, it is important to note that any good writer has a part of them being reflected in their work. Their difference could be just due them being different individuals with different personality traits. However, the era in which they wrote and lived haveRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde1750 Words   |  7 PagesHidden Symbols in The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde takes place in 1895 and exposes the hypocritical social expectations of the end of the Victorian era. During the Victorian period, marriage was about protecting your resources and keeping socially unacceptable impulses under control. The play undeniable reveals and focuses satire around differences between the behaviors of the upper class and that of the lower class. Oscar Wilde uses comedic symbolismRead MoreThe Picture Of Dorian Gray Essay1460 Words   |  6 Pagesbe the theme of Oscar Wilde’s book, The picture of Dorian Gray, art an beauty are both the same, yet they are different. But how can this be? Well, beauty and art are intertwined the moment art is used to capture a sliver of pure beauty, in order to make that moment last forever. According to Lord Henry, â€Å" Yes, Mr. Gray, the gods have been good to you. But what the goods give can easily be taken away. You only have a few years in which to live really, p erfectly, and fully† (Wilde Pg. 22). However