PODG 1

Wilde promotes the use of aestheticism through the character dialogue between Basil and Lord Henry. When discussing Dorian, Lord Henry and Basil touch on the fact that art should portray beauty. Henry says, "beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begin" (2). In writing this, Wilde emphasizes that beauty and intellect have no overlap; aestheticism follows this same principle. Furthermore, Wilde advances the use of aestheticism when Basil describes why he does not wish to publish his painting. Basil states, 

"An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them. We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography. We have lost the abstract sense of beauty. Some day I will show the world what it is; and for that reason the world shall never see my portrait

of Dorian Gray" (8-9)

Basil does not wish to publish his picture because it contains more than just beauty. The portraits holds a deeper meaning to Basil and that goes against Aesthetic principles. The description of Dorian and his portrait by Basil and Lord Henry are used as a tool by Oscar Wilde to promote and justify the Aesthetic movement.