"What Art is to Us": Exploring Uses and Meanings of Ekphrasis in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray

Abstract

This paper analyses the uses and meanings of ekphrasis in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel which transcends the limits of literature by intertwining with other arts, painting in particular. Being Wilde's only novel, it reflects on the role of art in society by combining elements of the Gothic genre and the Aestheticism movement, of which Wilde was a strong proponent. Through its protagonist, the story also delves into themes of morality and the hypocrisy of the Victorian era —by doing so, Wilde critiques the superficiality of social behaviour. Therefore, this paper examines the paradoxical relationship between art and reality, highlighting the complex interplay between ethics and aesthetics and the links between the artist, the subject and the resulting painting as described in the novel, through ekphrasis. Ultimately, this paper discusses the intertwining of art, life and death that constitute the thematic core of Wilde's work of fiction.