The Decay of Lying

The argument Oscar Wilde lays out in this essay is rooted firmly in the principles of the Aestheticism movement. This artistic and philosophical movement emerged in response to the Realism movement and utilitarianism, both of which characterized much of the thought and art during the 19th century when Wilde was writing. Aestheticism proposes that art should be dedicated to creating beauty alone, without concern for politics, morality, or any other external influences or aims. In his essay, Vivian references past and contemporary visual artists whom he feels exemplify these ideals, such as Anthony Van Dyck and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, as well as writers such as Honoré de Balzac and Thomas Carlyle.

Aestheticism embraces the notion of “l’art pour l’art (‘art for art’s sake’),” a phrase originated by Victor Cousin (“Aestheticism.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2023). It became a popular counter-ideology to Realism in the latter half of the 19th century, and Wilde became an especially recognizable proponent of the movement through his writing, including essays like “The Decay of Lying” and his only novel, The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Within the context of his essay, Wilde distinguishes between realist art that mimics life by simply imitating the mundane or vulgar and aestheticist art that exalts life by creating characters and scenes according to its own conventions. Aestheticism was related to romanticism, which idealized beauty and a separation between art and the unpleasant aspects of real, everyday life, as well as the Decadent movement.

Parallel to Aestheticism, the Realism and related Naturalism movements were dedicated to shifting art to the level of the common person. In contrast to previous artistic schools that focused on highly stylized subject matter, realism gave attention to regular life. Moreover, where the aesthetes maintained that art should be entirely free from the influences of social conditions, politics, and the drudgery of the everyday, realists and naturalists sought to draw attention to the plight of the poor and social ills. Writers who contributed to these movements include Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Émile Zola.