Oscar Wilde -- Lord Arthur Fairy Tale Illustrations

Oscar Wilde -- Lord Arthur Fairy Tale Illustrations

Illustration of the main conflict in the short story

This is a painting from an unknown artist about the moment in the short story when Lord Arthur is getting his hands read. I think the way the artist portrayed the party scene was particularly interesting because during the chaotic display, there is stillness in the interaction between the two gentlemen. This relates to the overuse of dialogue in the text and the lack of internal characterization. Wilde writes this story with 2 dimensional accounts about the action but this moment in the story is the first when the reader gets an insight on what Lord Arthur is actually thinking and fearing. This picture captures the fear of being found out in the middle of the party/society scene. The dramatic flare of the hand reader would make this exchange noticeable to the other party-goers and I think that is the point of the piece (the art and short story). People in society naturally are nosy and are onlookers to events that are intriguing. Wilde was playing with social interactions in the story and this picture also is placing a critical emphasis on that as well.