“ All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. ”
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). copy citation
| Author | Oscar Wilde |
|---|---|
| Source | The Picture of Dorian Gray |
| Topic | danger art symbol |
| Date | 1890 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/174/174-h/174-h.htm |
Context
“Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art. From the point of view of form, the type of all the arts is the art of the musician. From the point of view of feeling, the actor's craft is the type. All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital. When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself.”
source
Meaning and analysis
