Textual Analysis of Basil’s studio.

Basil’s studio is an extract taken from The Picture Of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde.

The title gives the reader a possible anticipation of what he is going to read. Indeed, the intelligent reader can understand that the extract could describe the studio of one of the characters involved: Basil Halloward.

The extract starts with the description of the studio made by senses. As you can see, the narrator appeals to smell, sight and hearing. He refers to “the rich odour of roses” or to “ the light of summer wind” or to “the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn”.

The setting is described in a female way because there are a lot of particulars of the environment. The effect is also a sense of oppression. The exotic way of furnishing and the big quantity of objects makes the reader understand the character’s affluence.

The extract is also very important because he introduces two characters: Basil Halloward and Lord Henry Wotton.

In the second part of the extract, the narrator introduces also the portrait that is more important than Dorian himself.

It is at the centre of the room and this can be seen as a way to communicate its importance. In addition, the portrait represents the idea of immortality and it is the image of a young man of extraordinary beauty. The artist himself, Basil, is sitting in front of it. Basil is introduced after the portrait and this expresses that the artist is less important than the picture. This idea is in line with the thoughts of the Aesthetic Movement.

The intelligent reader can notice a great attachment of the painter to the portrait. This could be seen thanks to two sentences  “No: I won’t send it anywhere” and “I have put too much of myself into it”.  The aim of the artist is not to show it in a gallery or send it anywhere. The portrait is something personal and the intelligent reader can understand that Basil could be attached to the young man he has painted.

In the end of the extract, Lord Henry Wotton shows an important part of his personality. The sentence “It is silly for you, for there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about” expresses his fear of being unknown. He is clearly linked to the idea of success and he explains that the worse thing is to be invisible and unknown.