15 of Our Favorite The Picture of Dorian Gray quotes

One of the greatest gothic novels of all time, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, tells a dark tale of horror and suspense as it follows the decline of the youthful and beautiful Dorian Gray, whose portrait takes on the demise of his debauchery while Dorian himself remains untouched by his crimes. A Faustian retelling, Wilde's story, originally a novella-length version published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890, was not received well by critics of his time citing immoral, hedonistic content. This critical reception caused Wilde to push back and defend his work of art by writing a preface of epigrams when the novel—with 6 additional chapters—was published in 1891. The preface expresses Wilde's philosophy of art to enjoy the beauty of art for art's sake, but not to use it as a judgment of morals. We have gathered 16 of our favorite The Picture of Dorian Gray quotes to both show Wilde's argument about art and to showcase the artistry of his words.

Dorian Gray Quotes From 'The Preface'

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”

~Oscar Wilde, Preface.

"The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art’s aim. The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things."

~Oscar Wilde, Preface (art for art's sake)

"Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope."

~Oscar Wilde, Preface

Quotes by Basil Hallward

"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself." ~Basil Hallward to Lord Henry Watton, Chapter 1. What does Basil reveal but an obsession with the young Dorian?

"I have grown to love secrecy. It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvellous to us. The commonest thing is delightful if one only hides it."

~Basil Hallward to Lord Henry, Chapter 1

Quotes by Lord Henry Wotton

“Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil. Conscience is the trade-name of the firm. That is all.”

~Lord Henry to Basil Hallward, Chapter 1. The firm represents the moral code of society. Henry Wotton views consciousness as confinement and those who do not indulge in their whims despite what society calls acceptable are cowards.

“The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself...”

~Lord Henry to Dorian Gray, Chapter 2. Lord Henry starts to influence Dorian with themes of hedonism and debauchery; that to engage in every pleasure regardless of the consequence is what a young man needs to do in order to gain satisfaction with life.

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”

~The narrator after Lord Henry talks to his uncle Lord Fermor to learn of Dorian Gray's parentage and past, Chapter 3. Dorian was orphaned and raised by his cruel grandfather who had his father killed in a duel. Knowing Dorian's backstory gives Lord Henry more confidence in his ability to influence Dorian.

"Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes."

~The omniscient narrator in Lord Henry's thoughts, Chapter 4. This is one of The Picture of Dorian Grayquotes that speaks to views on morality, a heavy theme throughout the classic novel.

“...You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit.”

~Lord Henry to Dorian Gray, Chapter 6. Lord Henry is taunting the love-struck Dorian who has informed Basil and Lord Henry of his intention to marry the actress SibylVane.

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” ~Lord Henry to Dorian Gray, Chapter 19. Dorian, after pledging to reform asks Lord Henry not to loan anyone the book he once loaned Dorian that began his life of debauchery. But the devilish Lord Henry turns it on him to say the book is not immoral, it is you (Dorian) who acted and are ashamed. While Lord Henry led Dorian to hedonism, Dorian was the one who committed the sins.

"Crime belongs exclusively to the lower orders. I don’t blame them in the smallest degree. I should fancy that crime was to them what art is to us, simply a method of procuring extraordinary sensations.”

~Lord Henry to Dorian Gray, Chapter 19. Dorian confesses to murdering Basil, but Lord Henry doesn't believe it because Dorian (as a member of the elite class) has means to secure higher forms of tantalization. Crime is but a a poor man's foray into hedonism whereas society members have many more ways to gain new sensations.

Dorian Gray Quotes

"I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them."

~Dorian Gray to Basil Hallward, Chapter 9. Dorian wants to sin freely and remain unaffected by his actions, physically or emotionally, and he can because his picture takes on the consequences of his actions while he remains unmarred.

"Veil after veil of thin dusky gauze is lifted, and by degrees the forms and colours of things are restored to them, and we watch the dawn remaking the world in its antique pattern."

~The narrator, Chapter 11. Dorian's exploration of sensations always happens in the shadows of night. The shift from dusk to dawn washes away the sins of the evening and he starts anew.

"His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery. What was youth at best? A green, an unripe time, a time of shallow moods, and sickly thoughts."

~The narrator telling readers Dorian Gray's thoughts as he hopes to change and be free of his sins, Chapter 20.

We know—as does Dorian—, he cannot be free of his sins; while he remains young his picture takes them on. Like Basil Hallward mentions to him in Chapter 9 after learning of Sybil Lane's death: “Sin is a thing that writes itself across a man’s face. It cannot be concealed." This, along with several of the other The Picture of Dorian Gray quotes, refers to the portrait as Dorian, and the consequences of his actions as already written.

Eternal youth, beauty, art, devilish deals, and death are the perfect recipe for gothic horror this spooky season. For more gothic literature, check out our Gothic Horror Classic Book Collection for your next chilling read!