Overview The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only novel written by the Irish wit, poet, and playwright Oscar Wilde . First published in 1890 in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine , it was later revised and expanded into a book-length edition in 1891 . The novel caused an immediate sensation and was condemned by Victorian critics as “vulgar,” “unclean,” and “poisonous” for its decadent style and homoerotic undertones. Today, it is regarded as a classic of Gothic fiction and a cornerstone of aestheticism. Plot Summary In the opulent setting of Victorian London, the talented artist Basil Hallward paints a stunning portrait of a young man of extraordinary beauty: Dorian Gray . While Dorian sits for the painting, he is introduced to Basil’s friend, Lord Henry Wotton , a cynical aristocrat who preaches a hedonistic philosophy: that beauty and sensual pleasure are the only things worth pursuing.

Distressed by the thought that his youth will fade while the painting remains forever young, Dorian makes a Faustian wish: he would give anything—even his soul—for the portrait to age instead of him.