The Picture Of Dorian Gray, By Oscar Wilde
Should art be or do anything? There is a wide spectrum of opinions from critics and artists on what art should be or do. Oscar Wilde argues in his preface to “The Picture of Dorian Gray” that art is beauty or a symbol, but beneath that is left to the interpretation of the spectator. In Gustave Courbet’s essay “Realist Manifesto” art is knowledge to draw from to inspire his own individuality and to create living art. Although both essays bear some superficial similarities, the difference between Wilde’s and Courbet's definition of art is staggering. Wilde and Courbet recognized how critics and Academic art authorities reject realism and romanticism and both explain why. Wilde uses a Shakespearean metaphor about critic’s resentment towards realism.
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Wilde has his own philosophies about what the artist should be and the aim of art. “The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and to conceal the artist is art’s aim”(Wilde 10). Wilde puts less emphasis on the artist and more emphasis on the art. On the other hand, Courbet focuses on his own individual and less on the beauty. “It was not my wish to imitate one or copy the other; nor was it my idea to attain the idle goal of art for art’s sake! No! I simply wished to draw from a knowledge of the whole tradition a reasoned and independent sense of my own individuality”(Courbet 1). Courbet wanted to know art history in order to create his own identity in his own time. Courbet and Wilde differed in opinions about art, Courbet focused on himself while Wilde left it to the interpretation of the spectator. “All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors”(Wilde 10). Wilde leaves the art in the critic’s hands by focusing less on the individual artist and more on the actual beauty and symbol of art. Wilde and Courbet emphasised certain aspects in their art, Wilde focused more on the beauty in art and the spectator interpreting the art, while Courbet focused more on the artist individuality and accuracy of what he see in his
Wilde has his own philosophies about what the artist should be and the aim of art. “The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and to conceal the artist is art’s aim”(Wilde 10). Wilde puts less emphasis on the artist and more emphasis on the art. On the other hand, Courbet focuses on his own individual and less on the beauty. “It was not my wish to imitate one or copy the other; nor was it my idea to attain the idle goal of art for art’s sake! No! I simply wished to draw from a knowledge of the whole tradition a reasoned and independent sense of my own individuality”(Courbet 1). Courbet wanted to know art history in order to create his own identity in his own time. Courbet and Wilde differed in opinions about art, Courbet focused on himself while Wilde left it to the interpretation of the spectator. “All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors”(Wilde 10). Wilde leaves the art in the critic’s hands by focusing less on the individual artist and more on the actual beauty and symbol of art. Wilde and Courbet emphasised certain aspects in their art, Wilde focused more on the beauty in art and the spectator interpreting the art, while Courbet focused more on the artist individuality and accuracy of what he see in his