The Picture of Dorian Gray: The One Where a Man Sells His Soul for Flawless Skin.👦🏼

💋 Why It Still Slaps

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) is the OG aesthetic thriller — a gothic cocktail of vanity, vice, and vibes. It’s got drama, scandal, art, murder, and a man who says “I’m never aging a day in my life” and actually means it. It's not just about looking hot forever, it’s a biting (and fabulous) critique of a society obsessed with appearances and aestheticism. Also, Wilde’s pen game? Elite. Every quote is basically a tweet waiting to happen.

🧠 Oscar Wilde: The Sassmaster Behind It All

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish poet, playwright, and certified drama king. Known for his wit, flamboyance, and unapologetic flair, he was the toast of Victorian society — until he wasn’t (but that’s another drama). Dorian Gray was his only novel, and boy did he make it count.

🧾 The Plot: Beauty, but Make It Cursed

We start in London. Basil Hallward, an artist with a massive crush on his muse, paints a portrait of the beautiful (but naïve) Dorian Gray. Enter Lord Henry Wotton, who drops some ✨toxic philosophy✨ about youth being the only thing worth having. Dorian, hearing this, says something like, “I’d give my soul to stay young and let the portrait age instead.”

Guess what? It happens.

As Dorian goes full chaos mode — breaking hearts, ruining lives, dabbling in opium dens and shady secrets — the portrait begins to show every wrinkle, every sin, every ugly truth. Meanwhile, Dorian himself stays looking like a skincare ad. Eventually, the guilt (and creepy painting) eats at him. He tries to destroy the portrait and ends up destroying himself.

The final image? A young, flawless painting... and a withered old man dead on the floor. Iconic.

💁‍♂️ Main Characters, Ranked by Sass

• Dorian Gray – Pretty boy turned chaotic evil. Instagram filter in human form. Literally sold his soul for the vibe.

• Lord Henry “Harry” Wotton – Philosopher of mess. He’s all “do what feels good” and leaves destruction in his wake. Would definitely host a podcast called Hot Takes & Hedonism.

• Basil Hallward – Artist. Simp. Deserved better.

• Sibyl Vane – Aspiring actress and Dorian’s brief love interest. Her tragedy = peak Victorian melodrama.

🎭 Symbols, Themes & Tea

• The Portrait – The anti-mirror mirror on the wall. It shows the truth behind Dorian’s curated aesthetic.

• Youth & Beauty – In Wilde’s world, people are obsessed with appearances. Still hits in the age of filters and face apps.

• Duality & the Soul – It’s giving Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but prettier. Who are we when no one’s watching?

• Moral Consequences – Even if you hide your sins behind a pretty face... karma’s gonna find you.

🍿 Adaptations & Pop Culture Glow-Ups

• 1945 film: Old school, but spooky and Oscar-winning (for the painting!)

• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003): Dorian’s a suave immortal bisexual. We love to see it.

• Penny Dreadful (TV): Dark, hot, and full of Dorian drama.

• Dorian Gray (2009): Ben Barnes in eyeliner. Enough said.

• Any time a vampire refuses to age? Lowkey Dorian-coded.

Oh — and every time someone says “this is my Dorian Gray” about an old photo they hide in shame? Oscar Wilde smiles in the afterlife.

❝ Iconic Quote Moment ❞

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”
– Lord Henry, probably right before ruining someone’s life.