Publication of The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only novel by Oscar Wilde, first published in a magazine and then, in expanded form with a preface, as a book. It tells of a handsome young man whose portrait ages and shows the effects of his corrupt life, while he himself remains young, after he wishes that the painting would change instead of him. His mentor, Lord Henry Wotton, encourages his pursuit of pleasure. The novel drew criticism for its decadent themes, and it was used against Wilde in his later trials. It is a landmark of Gothic fiction and of the aesthetic movement, and has been adapted many times.

Open on the timeline