The central element of O. Wilde's novel, Dorian's
portrait, has itself received little critical
attention, although the concept of the body as the
'canvas of conduct' implicit in its magic is
culturally problematic: it presupposes a profound
moral framework and a, potentially discriminating,
corporal symbolism. Moreover, the motif of the fading
portrait characteristically binds eccentric personal
development to a segregative notion of 'decline'. -

How can moral failure engrave itself in a face
previously "unspotted from the world" ?
This study examines how the novel interrelates
between physicality and personality, inquires into
the historical backgrounds of this perspective and
discusses its social and ethical consequences.

It offers additional insights for scholars interested
in O. Wilde's work, the cultural landscape of the
late nineteenth century and anti-discrimination or
gender debates.