On The Autonomy Of Art In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray, a masterpiece by aesthetic writer Oscar Wilde, is both a novel and an allegory concerning the relation between art and life. Oscar Wilde's appeal for "the autonomy of art" is subtly reflected in this work.Under the premise of autonomy of art, art is neither an appendage to life, nor a moral carrier, and not even a tool through which the artist reveals his private views. Art shows its own vitality and discourse system. In the novel, through the description of a changing portrait and the protagonists' encounters, Oscar Wilde symbolically reveals the relation and contradiction between art and life. Firstly, Dorian's change is resulted from his longing to imitate art, which symbolically explains Wilde's belief that "life should imitate art". The subsequent changes of the portrait caused by Dorian's corruption, as well as Basil's death suggest the confrontation between vulgar life and elegant art. Eventually, the death of Dorian implies that art restores its original immutability and subjectivity. The autonomy of art rejects morality as art's evaluation criterion. However, the aestheticism reflected in the book is not a denying of social morality. On the contrary, it is through an artistic way that the moral outlook of the author is highlighted. As to the writing technique, Oscar Wilde adopts a relatively objective way-the dramatic narrative, which embodies his purpose to "reveal art and conceal the artist". This is another feature of his pursuit of artistic autonomy.This paper systematically expounds the concept of the autonomy of art, and points out Wilde's contribution to this theoretical system. On the characters in the novel, this paper creatively interprets the relation among Henry, Dorian and Basil as that of a secular artist, a failure of art, and an idealistic artist. It provides a new approach to the connotation of the novel. The paper also reassesses the value system and moral outlook in Wilde's aestheticism, and points out that under his slogan "art for art's sake", Wilde does not abandon morality, but integrates the beauty of life and the harmony of life together. Finally, this paper probes into the dramatic features of the novel, which is rarely discussed. Elaborating on the distinctive writing technique of Oscar Wilde, the paper maintains that Wilde's intention is intimately associated with his pursuit of artistic autonomy.Oscar Wilde's assertion on the autonomy of art shows an idealistic tendency. But meanwhile, it emphasizes the independence and critical function of art. Wilde's view undoubtedly provides us a new approach to art.