Best of
Essays
1891
The Critic as Artist
Oscar Wilde - 1891
Published originally in 1881, The Critic As Artist is one of Oscar Wilde's major aesthetic statements.
The Decay of Lying and Other Essays
Oscar Wilde - 1891
Wilde's views of life and art are illustrated through the use of Platonic dialogue where the character Vivian takes on the persona of Wilde. Wilde's goal is to subvert the norm by reversing its values. Wilde suggests to us that society is wrong, not him. Calling on diverse examples – from Ancient Greek sculpture to contemporary paintings – Oscar Wilde’s brilliant essay creates a witty, paradoxical world in which the only Art worth loving is that built on complete untruths.