The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, volume 46
London: Ward, Lock & Co., July 1890
Oscar Wilde’s classic gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the story of a young man who wishes to remain forever young and beautiful. His portrait ages in his stead, while he lives a hedonistic life and is ultimately corrupted. The novel was originally published by Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, with signifigant homoerotic content edited out. Even with these edits, the novel offended British moral attitudes and it played a role in Wilde’s trial for sodomy and gross indecency. With its overarching theme of appearances and hidden realities, the novel still speaks to the division between the public and the private in LGBTQ+ lives.
Holding Division: Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries.
