The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde. It first appeared as a novella in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine in 1890, and was revised and published as a full novel the following year. The story scandalized Victorian society and was cited as evidence of Wilde’s immorality during his criminal trial in 1895.

The novel tells the story of a young man named Dorian Gray, whose portrait is painted by the artist Basil Hallward. Under the influence of the cynical Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian wishes that the portrait would age instead of him. His wish is granted, and as Dorian pursues a life of vice and corruption, his face remains youthful while the portrait grows increasingly hideous.

A masterpiece of Gothic fiction and a sharp critique of Victorian aestheticism, The Picture of Dorian Gray remains one of the most widely read and discussed novels in English literature.