Intentions, first published in 1891 as a decorated book designed by Charles Ricketts, collects, in often substantially revised form, several of Oscar Wilde’s previously published critical writings regarding art and its place in society: “The Decay of Lying” (1889), “Pen Pencil and Poison” (1889), “The Critic as Artist” (1891), and “The Truth of Masks”. These individual works display the development of Wilde’s personal theories of art and aesthetics in conversation with the prevalent trends in art and aesthetics of the late-Victorian era. The title Intentions suggests a dialogue with Walter Pater’s Appreciations, which Lawrence Danson calls a “starting point” for Wilde’s volume (13). In …
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Citation: O'Keefe, Katherine. "Intentions". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 February 2011 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4378, accessed 19 April 2024.]
