The Aesthetic Movement & The Picture of Dorian Gray

Study Notes

The Aesthetic Movement

The Aesthetic Movement was a reaction against conventional art, society, and attitudes.
It began in the late 1860s and lasted until the mid-1890s.
The movement prioritized individual personality and beauty.
It is also known as the Decadent Movement.
It comprised a group of artists, writers, critics, and opinion-makers.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a key work of the Aesthetic Movement.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray explores art and culture.
It features a painting, a harmful book, and the theater.
The novel reflects the Aesthetic Movement's focus on beauty and art.
The novel emphasizes language, beauty, morality, and aestheticism.
It's a clever and paradoxical work.
The novel suggests art is the highest human pursuit.

Aestheticism

Aestheticism celebrates a growing consumer culture.
It involves acquiring and accumulating possessions and experiences.
It focuses on perfecting emotions and experiences.
It's a detached form of Pater's theory of art.
Aestheticism highlights art and material wealth.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: A Study of Aestheticism

The Picture of Dorian Gray, while praising art, critiques the Aesthetic movement.
It depicts a man consumed by beauty, leading to his downfall.
The novel questions whether art can influence actions and whether one can escape the consequences of acts.
The character Sybil Vane's inability to separate from her theatrical roles in the novel reveals the dehumanizing effects of art and the dangers of artificiality.
The Picture of Dorian Gray suggests aestheticism is a risky obsession that can be destructive.

Description

Explore the Aesthetic Movement, a rebellion against conventional art and society from the late 1860s to the mid-1890s. This quiz delves into its key themes and figures, particularly focusing on Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', a seminal work that embodies the movement's ideals of beauty and morality.