OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900) 
LIFE
- 1854 He was born in Dublin
- He gained a first-class degree in Classics at the University of Oxford, where he distinguished himself for his eccentricity
- He became a disciple of Walter Pater, accepting the theory of Art for Art's Sake
- He moved to London where he became a dandy for his extravagant way of dressing
- 1890 his reputation was damaged since his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and his tragedy Salome' were considered immoral and obscene
- his social comedies were successful
- He was found guilty of homosexual practices, sentenced and imprisoned in Reading Gaol
- 1897 after being released he went to France, where he spent the rest of his life in poverty
- 1900 He died in Paris
LITERARY WORKS
- 1881 POEMS
1891 THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY his first and only novel
1892-1895 DRAMAS: A woman of no importance (1893)
Salome' (1893) the only tragedy, in French
An ideal husband (1895)
The importance of Being Earnest (1895)
- 1898 The Ballad of reding Goal, a poem and his last published work
- 1905 De Profundis, a long letter to his life, written while imprisoned and published posthumously
He was one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London and one of the greatest celebrities of his days.
His AESTHETICISM clashed with the didacticism of Victorian novels. He affirmed ‘my life is like a work of art’.
The artist is the creator of beautiful things.
Art is used only to celebrate beauty and the sensorial pleasures.