What is Aestheticism?

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that concerns itself with the theory of beauty. The field is broad and incredibly subjective, as it depends on the individual to decide what he or she deems beautiful; many people do not share the same opinions. In relation, Aestheticism was an art movement that mostly occurred in Europe in the 19^th century. It was a doctrine that emphasised the value of beauty and superiority of art in comparison to other facets of life such as morals and politics. Wilde’s writing largely reflected these opinions, as he incorporated a lot of the period’s values into The Picture of Dorian Gray. He presented them through his characters and the novel’s themes, which will be discussed in later posts. To learn more about the characters, check out the Character Profiles page.