The Preface of the Picture of Dorian Gray

In the Preface of the Picture of Dorian Gray Wilde affirmed his concept of “Art” and “Artist”. Art survives people, art is eternal. The artist is a creator of beautiful things and the aim of art is to reveal itself but even to conceal the artist. The critic can translate his impression of art into a new manner; criticism is actually a way of autobiography. To find ugly meanings in beautiful things is a fault, while to find beautiful meanings in beautiful things is to be cultivated.

Moreover, the artist doesn't desire to prove anything and hasn't ethical sympathies but he can express everything. He is always in accord with himself.

Finally, art doesn't mirror life but the spectator, and it is quite useless.

The Preface expresses his view of art as the cult of beauty that could prevent the murder of the soul. Moreover the concept of Art for Art's sake was to Wilde, still Victorian at heart, a moral imperative and not only an aesthetic one, in the end he stressed the integrity and coherence of the artist saying that he must be in accord with himself.