The Aesthetic Movement & The Picture of Dorian Gray

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.