The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete

Yang Yu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14

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The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete

Yang Yu

Published in English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 5, Issue 1)

Received: 24 January 2020 Accepted: 14 February 2020 Published: 25 February 2020

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Abstract

Oscar Wilde develops a unique way of critical arguments in which the critical discourse carries a special exhibition effect. Despite his condemnation of the contemporary tendency that literature appeals more to the eye, this visuality in language reveals his desire for self-exhibition in the public domain. Therefore, Wilde distinguishes himself from other intellectuals of his time by providing a sensation for the pleasure of eyes and by offering a new visual pattern for the intellectual attraction to the public. The present paper attempts to demonstrate that a sort of exhibitionism functions as a foundational element in Wilde’s literary creation. His critical essays, as represented by “The Critic as Artist,” are characterized by a conspicuous exhibition of classical knowledge and aesthetic temperament. In his advocacy of “art for art’s sake,” artistic uniqueness is interrelated with the widespread pursuit of visual stimulus and display of difference among the reading public of the late Victorian period. Thus, it is impossible to have a comprehensive understanding of Wilde’s literary achievement and aesthetic sensibilities without serious consideration of his publicity-seeking self-exhibition. In this sense, the paper tends to show that Wilde’s aestheticism is, in essence, the aesthetics of exhibitionism. It regards superficial quality as the high standard of wit, style the very condition of art, and appearance the real nature of life.

Published in	English Language, Literature & Culture (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14
Page(s)	36-44
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Exhibitionism, Public Aesthete, Style, Sensation

References

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[2]	Penry, Tara. “Bret Harte's Oscar Wilde Tale” American Literary Realism. 51.1 (2018): 21-35.
[3]	Joseph, Abigail. Exquisite Materials: Episodes in the Queer History of Victorian Style. Newark: Delaware UP, 2019: 1-14.
[4]	Freeman Nick. “What Kind of Love Came to Professor Guildea? Robert Hichens, Oscar Wilde, and the Queer Ghosts o Hyde Park.” The Modern Language Review. 111.2 (2016): 333-351.
[5]	Wilper, James Patrick. “A Tough Act to Follow: Homosexuality in Fiction after Oscar Wilde.” Reconsidering the Emergence of the Gay Novel in English and German. West Lafayette: Purdue UP, 2016: 137-152.
[6]	Wilde, Oscar. Essays and Lectures. London: Methuen, 1913: 137-186.
[7]	Baldick, Chris. The Social Mission of English Criticism 1848-1932. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1983: 25-43.
[8]	Wilde, Oscar. Collins Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. Ed. J. B. Foreman. London: Collins, 1986: 215-1095.
[9]	Heyck, T. W. The Transformation of Intellectual Life in Victorian England. London: Croom Helm, 1982: 199.
[10]	Eagleton, Terry. The Function of Criticism. London: Verso, 2005: 49-50.
[11]	Goodbody, John. “The Star: Its Role in the Rise of the New Journalism.” Papers for the Millions: The New Journalism in Britain, 1850s to 1914. Ed. Joel H. Wiener. New York: Greenwood, 1988. 143–164.
[12]	Cohen, Ed. Talk on the Wilde Side: Toward a Genealogy of a Discourse on Male Sexualities. New York: Routledge, 1993: 131.
[13]	Wilde, Oscar. Selected Journalism. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004: ix– 22.
[14]	Chalaby, Jean K. The Invention of Journalism. London: Macmillan, 1998: 76-77.
[15]	Salamensky, S. I. “Re-Presenting Oscar Wilde: Wilde’s Trials, Gross Indecency, and Documentary Spectacle.” Theatre Journal 54.4 (2002): 575-88.
[16]	Fortunato, Paul L. “Wildean Philosophy with a Needle and Thread: Consumer Fashion at the Origins of Modernist Aesthetics.” College Literature 34.3 (2007): 37–53.
[17]	Stokes, John. Oscar Wilde: Myths, Miracles, and Imitations. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996: 23.
[18]	Frankel, Nicholas. Oscar Wilde’s Decorated Books. Ann Arbor, MI: U of Michigan P, 2000: 83-85.
[19]	Williams, Kristian. “The Anarchist Aphorist: Wilde and Gottesman, Paradox and Subversion.” Anarchist Studies 18.2 (2010): 101-108.
[20]	Wilde, Oscar. The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. Ed. Bobby Fong, et al. vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000: 165.
[21]	Guy, Josephine M. and Ian Small. Studying Oscar Wilde: History, Criticism, and Myth. Greensboro: ELT, 2006: 97-99.
[22]	Wilde, Oscar. The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde. Ed. Bobby Fong, et al. vol. 3 Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000: 167-177.
[23]	Sammells, Neil. “Oscar Wilde and the Politics of Style.” The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth-Century Irish Drama. Ed. Shaun Richards. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004: 109–121.
[24]	Wilde, Oscar. The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde. Ed. Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart-Davis. London: Fourth Estate, 2000: 431-503.
[25]	Freedman, Jonathan. Professions of Taste: Henry James, British Aestheticism, and Commodity Culture. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1990: xxi.
[26]	Raymond, E. T. Portraits of the Nineties. London: Unwin, 1921: 140.
[27]	Kohl, Norbert. Oscar Wilde: The Works of a Conformist Rebel. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1989: 70-102.
[28]	Maltz, Diana. British Aestheticism and the Urban Working Classes, 1870-1900. New York: Macmillan, 2006: 37-209.
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Yang Yu. (2020). The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete. English Language, Literature & Culture, 5(1), 36-44. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14

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Yang Yu. The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2020, 5(1), 36-44. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14

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Yang Yu. The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2020;5(1):36-44. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14,
  author = {Yang Yu},
  title = {The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {36-44},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20200501.14},
  abstract = {Oscar Wilde develops a unique way of critical arguments in which the critical discourse carries a special exhibition effect. Despite his condemnation of the contemporary tendency that literature appeals more to the eye, this visuality in language reveals his desire for self-exhibition in the public domain. Therefore, Wilde distinguishes himself from other intellectuals of his time by providing a sensation for the pleasure of eyes and by offering a new visual pattern for the intellectual attraction to the public. The present paper attempts to demonstrate that a sort of exhibitionism functions as a foundational element in Wilde’s literary creation. His critical essays, as represented by “The Critic as Artist,” are characterized by a conspicuous exhibition of classical knowledge and aesthetic temperament. In his advocacy of “art for art’s sake,” artistic uniqueness is interrelated with the widespread pursuit of visual stimulus and display of difference among the reading public of the late Victorian period. Thus, it is impossible to have a comprehensive understanding of Wilde’s literary achievement and aesthetic sensibilities without serious consideration of his publicity-seeking self-exhibition. In this sense, the paper tends to show that Wilde’s aestheticism is, in essence, the aesthetics of exhibitionism. It regards superficial quality as the high standard of wit, style the very condition of art, and appearance the real nature of life.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete
AU  - Yang Yu
Y1  - 2020/02/25
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14
T2  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
SP  - 36
EP  - 44
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-2413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14
AB  - Oscar Wilde develops a unique way of critical arguments in which the critical discourse carries a special exhibition effect. Despite his condemnation of the contemporary tendency that literature appeals more to the eye, this visuality in language reveals his desire for self-exhibition in the public domain. Therefore, Wilde distinguishes himself from other intellectuals of his time by providing a sensation for the pleasure of eyes and by offering a new visual pattern for the intellectual attraction to the public. The present paper attempts to demonstrate that a sort of exhibitionism functions as a foundational element in Wilde’s literary creation. His critical essays, as represented by “The Critic as Artist,” are characterized by a conspicuous exhibition of classical knowledge and aesthetic temperament. In his advocacy of “art for art’s sake,” artistic uniqueness is interrelated with the widespread pursuit of visual stimulus and display of difference among the reading public of the late Victorian period. Thus, it is impossible to have a comprehensive understanding of Wilde’s literary achievement and aesthetic sensibilities without serious consideration of his publicity-seeking self-exhibition. In this sense, the paper tends to show that Wilde’s aestheticism is, in essence, the aesthetics of exhibitionism. It regards superficial quality as the high standard of wit, style the very condition of art, and appearance the real nature of life.
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Yang Yu

English Department, School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

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Yang Yu. (2020). The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete. English Language, Literature & Culture, 5(1), 36-44. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14

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ACS Style

Yang Yu. The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete. Engl. Lang. Lit. Cult. 2020, 5(1), 36-44. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14

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AMA Style

Yang Yu. The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete. Engl Lang Lit Cult. 2020;5(1):36-44. doi: 10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14,
  author = {Yang Yu},
  title = {The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete},
  journal = {English Language, Literature & Culture},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {36-44},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ellc.20200501.14},
  abstract = {Oscar Wilde develops a unique way of critical arguments in which the critical discourse carries a special exhibition effect. Despite his condemnation of the contemporary tendency that literature appeals more to the eye, this visuality in language reveals his desire for self-exhibition in the public domain. Therefore, Wilde distinguishes himself from other intellectuals of his time by providing a sensation for the pleasure of eyes and by offering a new visual pattern for the intellectual attraction to the public. The present paper attempts to demonstrate that a sort of exhibitionism functions as a foundational element in Wilde’s literary creation. His critical essays, as represented by “The Critic as Artist,” are characterized by a conspicuous exhibition of classical knowledge and aesthetic temperament. In his advocacy of “art for art’s sake,” artistic uniqueness is interrelated with the widespread pursuit of visual stimulus and display of difference among the reading public of the late Victorian period. Thus, it is impossible to have a comprehensive understanding of Wilde’s literary achievement and aesthetic sensibilities without serious consideration of his publicity-seeking self-exhibition. In this sense, the paper tends to show that Wilde’s aestheticism is, in essence, the aesthetics of exhibitionism. It regards superficial quality as the high standard of wit, style the very condition of art, and appearance the real nature of life.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Aesthetics of Exhibitionism: Oscar Wilde as a Public Aesthete
AU  - Yang Yu
Y1  - 2020/02/25
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14
T2  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JF  - English Language, Literature & Culture
JO  - English Language, Literature & Culture
SP  - 36
EP  - 44
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-2413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ellc.20200501.14
AB  - Oscar Wilde develops a unique way of critical arguments in which the critical discourse carries a special exhibition effect. Despite his condemnation of the contemporary tendency that literature appeals more to the eye, this visuality in language reveals his desire for self-exhibition in the public domain. Therefore, Wilde distinguishes himself from other intellectuals of his time by providing a sensation for the pleasure of eyes and by offering a new visual pattern for the intellectual attraction to the public. The present paper attempts to demonstrate that a sort of exhibitionism functions as a foundational element in Wilde’s literary creation. His critical essays, as represented by “The Critic as Artist,” are characterized by a conspicuous exhibition of classical knowledge and aesthetic temperament. In his advocacy of “art for art’s sake,” artistic uniqueness is interrelated with the widespread pursuit of visual stimulus and display of difference among the reading public of the late Victorian period. Thus, it is impossible to have a comprehensive understanding of Wilde’s literary achievement and aesthetic sensibilities without serious consideration of his publicity-seeking self-exhibition. In this sense, the paper tends to show that Wilde’s aestheticism is, in essence, the aesthetics of exhibitionism. It regards superficial quality as the high standard of wit, style the very condition of art, and appearance the real nature of life.
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download