When was Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray published?
Last Updated:
Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, a literary work that raises profound questions about ethics, beauty and morality, was first published in 1890. An integral part of Victorian Gothic and decadent literature, the story reflects both the values and contradictions of the age.
Oscar Wilde first published his novel as a short story in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in July 1890. This first version was severely criticized, not least for its content, considered immoral at the time. The portrait of a young man obsessed with his beauty and willing to sacrifice his soul to preserve his eternal youth was a thinly veiled criticism of the superficiality of Victorian society.
Following controversy, Oscar Wilde revised the text and added several chapters to flesh out the story, which was subsequently published as a novel in 1891. This revised text became the best-known version of The Portrait of Dorian Gray. In this version, Oscar Wilde softened certain aspects of the plot, but also enriched the philosophical and artistic content of the work, making it more complex and subtle in its social criticism.
The Victorian era, from 1837 to 1901, was marked by radical changes, including the rise of industrialization, the development of the middle class and a strict morality often associated with social and sexual repression. It was against this backdrop that Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray, a work that challenged this rigid morality by exploring themes such as decadence, hedonism and the double life that many individuals led in reaction to this repressive society.
The central character, Dorian Gray, embodies this tension between outward appearance and inner soul. While his portrait ages and reflects his sins, he himself remains young and handsome. This contrast between moral degradation and preservation of physical appearance echoes the double life led by many Victorians, hiding their true desires and actions behind a veneer of respectability.
Lord Henry, one of the novel’s other key characters, also represents this moral ambivalence. It is he who encourages Dorian to adopt a vision of life based on pleasure at all costs, without regard for ethical consequences. With his aphorisms and subversive ideas, Lord Henry reflects the decadent philosophy that challenges traditional moral values.
The Victorian era was also characterized by a growing interest in psychology and theories of degeneration. Oscar Wilde, a keen observer of the times, captured these concerns in his novel. Dorian Gray can be seen as an example of the moral and physical degeneration caused by a life of debauchery. By refusing to face the consequences of his actions, Dorian literally becomes a monster, both in his soul and in his hidden portrait.
The Portrait of Dorian Gray also explores the question of art for art’s sake, a concept that was central to the aesthetic circles to which Oscar Wilde belonged. According to this school of thought, art should be appreciated for its beauty alone, without moral considerations. The story of Dorian Gray illustrates the potential dangers of this philosophy when taken to extremes, with Dorian sacrificing all morality to preserve his beauty and live a life of pleasure.
The novel remains an essential work, not only for its acerbic social critique of the Victorian era, but also for its timeless exploration of the themes of narcissism, decadence and the quest for immortality. It is part of the Gothic tradition, but also foreshadows modern preoccupations with identity, morality and aesthetics.
literature
When was Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray published?
Answer
Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in 1890, in the Victorian era, in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine.