Elena Crngau Victorian Literature Semianar

nd
2 year, group 4 Assist. Dr.Eliana Ionoaia
English-Swedish Presentation

Aestheticism

What is Aestheticism?
Aestheticism is a late 19th-century European arts movement which centred on the doctrine
that art exists for the sake of its beauty alone and that it should not have in any way a
polictial, social or any kind of purpose. It is based on the principle that real art should not
shape the social or moral identites of the society and supports whatever behavior brings
happiness in one's life, no matter if it is moral or immoral.

The Aesthetic Movement in fin-de-sicle England, as interpreted by Oscar

Wilde, revolved around the ideal that the utility of ones actions should be to
create the maximal amount of beauty and pleasure in ones life, and nothing
more.(Duggan, 67)

When and where did it appear?

With respect to the British Literature, the place and time this movement
appeared remains unknown, although a trace can be seen in the cristicism
of John Ruskin in the 1850's regarding the works of the artists and writers of
the Pre-Raphaelite movement, the writings of Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde.
Aestheticism had a motto l'art pour l'art (art for art's sake) first introduced
by the French novelist Thophile Gautier in 1836 in the preface of one of his
novels.

Aestheticism- as presented in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel about morality meant to critique the thoughtless
obedience of one's impulses as dictated by aestheticism. It presents a story based on innate
immorality of purely aesthetic lives.

The author merely attempts to warn people about the disadvantages of aestheticism when
uncontrolled. He does not opposes these concepts either , stating that acting independently
from society's ideas of property, not feeling constrained by it and achieving the great amout
of happiness are the advantages this movement can bring.

In the novel, Dorian Gray, influenced by his friend, Lord Henry, leads an immoral life,
 taking advantage of his beauty in order to pursue his own pleasures. Through Lord Henry,
the author criticizes the stifling nature of the Victorian society and how the morality it
requires is the result of self-denial and rejection of the most beautiful things one should
enjoy in life.

In the beginning, Dorian appers to be innocent, pure and completely unaware of his beauty,
until Lord Henry manipulates him and urges him to adopt an attitude based manly on
aesthetic philosophy.

Until the end of the book, Dorian changes significantly, he becomes arrogant, cruel,
heartless, he enjoys making others suffer, even Sybil Lane, a young actress who killed
herself after he left her, brings him a mad satisfaction.

He sinks into the depths of narcissism and maintains his external beauty, but his dark soul
can be clearly seen on canvas. When he reveals the painting, the repulsion of seeing his own
face makes him destroy it, but without knowing that he will destroy himself too.

The tragic ending of Dorian, whose only aim is the pursuit of his pleasures, is the result of
uncontrolled aestheticism which represents the immorality of such a lifestyle and
demonstrates its consequences. Morality and aestheticism, two concepts which are
incompatible, can coexist only through a more strict philosophy.

Bibliography:

http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/past-issues/issue-1/duggan/

http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199799558/obo-
9780199799558-0002.xml

https://www.britannica.com/art/Aestheticism

http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/282425/the-portrait-of-dorian-gray-from-an-aesthetic-to-a-moral-
value

http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199799558/obo-
9780199799558-0002.xml