The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, while the novel-length version was published in April 1891. Wilde's only novel, it is widely regarded as a classic of both Gothic and English literature, having been adapted many times for films, stage, plays, and other forms of art performances, in addition to inspiring the Dorian Awards since 2009.

The work was originally commissioned by J. M. Stoddart, the managing editor of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, as a novella in 1889, but after facing public backlash for its perceived immorality, Wilde revised the story. He added a new preface which outlined his aesthetic philosophy and also expanded the initial narrative with six additional chapters. It was this expanded version which eventually became the novel. Critics have also noted that an earlier story written by Wilde, titled The Portrait of Mr. W. H. and published in 1889, has several of the themes and styles seen in this novel. The story itself originated from a conversation Wilde had with his friend, artist Basil Ward, who was an early version of the character Basil Hallward.

The story revolves around a portrait of Dorian Gray painted by Basil Hallward, a friend of Dorian's and an artist infatuated with Dorian's beauty. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton and is soon enthralled by the aristocrat's hedonistic worldview: that beauty and sensual fulfilment are the only things worth pursuing in life. Knowing that he will lose his beauty with time, Dorian impulsively chooses to sell his soul and asks for the portrait, rather than himself, to age and fade. His wish granted, Dorian pursues a libertine life of varied immoral experiences while staying young and beautiful; all the while, his portrait ages and visually records every one of Dorian's sins. Wilde used several aphorisms to explain the role of the artist in society, the purpose and utility of artistic representations, and the value of beauty. He also uses the themes of morality and influence to explore various societal values and ethics, individual relationships and personal choices, and their role in shaping an individual's moral compass.

The novel was initially subjected to much controversy and criticism in its time even after its revisions, with publishers sometimes withdrawing it from public circulation. Since the 20th century, however, there has been a surge in interest and it is now recognised as one of Wilde's best-known publications. It remains an important work as the novel is a direct commentary on the aesthetic movement of the 19th century, and is regarded as a centerpiece of the movement, which emphasised beauty and art for art's sake.

In 1882, Oscar Wilde met Frances Richards in Ottawa, where he visited her studios. In 1887, Richards moved to London where she renewed her acquaintance with Wilde and painted his portrait. Wilde described that incident as being the inspiration for the novel:

In December, 1887, I gave a sitting to a Canadian artist who was staying with some friends of hers and mine in South Kensington. When the sitting was over, and I had looked at the portrait, I said in jest, 'What a tragic thing it is. This portrait will never grow older and I shall. If it was only the other way!' The moment I had said this it occurred to me what a capital plot the idea would make for a story. The result is 'Dorian Gray.'

In 1889, J. M. Stoddart, an editor for Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, was in London to solicit novellas to publish in the magazine. On 30 August 1889, Stoddart dined with Oscar Wilde, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and T. P. Gill at the Langham Hotel, and commissioned novellas from each writer. Doyle promptly submitted The Sign of the Four, which was published in the February 1890 edition of Lippincott's. Stoddart received Wilde's manuscript for The Picture of Dorian Gray on 7 April 1890, seven months after having commissioned the novel from him.

In July 1889, Wilde published "The Portrait of Mr. W. H.", a very different story but one that has a similar title to The Picture of Dorian Gray and has been described as "a preliminary sketch of some of its major themes", including homosexuality.