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The Picture of Dorian Gray
THE PICTURE OF
DORIAN GRAY
Can a painting of a person tell you more about him than the person’s own face? If it is painted with love, perhaps the painting will show more than just the outside of that person – perhaps it will show the inside.
We often say that a face is like an open book: ‘the face tells its own story,’ we say. When Dorian Gray sees the painting of his own face, he falls in love with his own beauty. Nothing must touch his beauty, nothing must hurt or change it – not love, not even time. And so he cuts the link between his face and his heart, between his outside and his inside. His face does not change; it stays young and beautiful. But the picture – painted with love – tells the true story. It shows the real Dorian Gray, who is growing old and ugly and full of hate.
The Artist
myself into this painting.’
1
Through the open windows of the room came the rich scent of summer flowers. Lord Henry Wotton lay back in his chair and smoked his cigarette. Beyond the soft sounds of the garden he could just hear the noise of London.
In the centre of the room there was a portrait of a very beautiful young man, and in front of it stood the artist himself, Basil Hallward.
‘It’s your best work, Basil, the best portrait that you’ve ever painted,’ said Lord Henry lazily. ‘You must send it to the best art gallery in London.’
‘No,’ Basil said slowly. ‘No, I won’t send it anywhere.’
Lord Henry was surprised. ‘But my dear Basil, why not?’ he asked. ‘What strange people you artists are! You want to be famous, but then you’re not happy when you are famous. It’s bad when people talk about you – but it’s much worse when they don’t talk about you.’
‘I know you’ll laugh at me,’ replied Basil, ‘but I can’t exhibit the picture in an art gallery. I’ve put too much of myself into it.’
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