Sangwoo Kim
The
journal starts with detailed, sensational depictions of the studio. Using
several specific names of flowers, including lilac and laburnum, the author
expresses sensual descriptions of the place so perfectly that the readers are
about to mistake themselves for smelling real odor of such air and seeing that
splendor scent, thus forming an appropriate atmosphere to unfold his characters’
dialogues.
Lord
Henry urges Basil Hallward, an artist friend of his, to exhibit his portrait of
a beautiful young man. However, Basil keeps refusing his persuasion, saying
that he has put too much of himself into the picture. Henry talks about common
attitude of artists toward reputation, the relationship of beautiful appearance
and internal intellect, and some cynical explanation of romance in his martial
life: the conversation reveals the main characters’ personal values and
perspective to the world so naturally by changing its themes. At the part of
the conversation about fatality of physical and intellectual distinction, most
readers might clap their hands and cry out senses of sympathy. Especially,
artistic philosophy of Basil invoked a great appreciation on me, for I am
sincerely fond of art activities: Basil says, ‘every portrait painted with
feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the model – the sitter is merely
the accident, the occasion.’(I.5 16-7) The notion that a picture filled
enthusiastically would betray the secret of the painter’s own soul made me
deliberate over a definition of a sincere art. Moreover, not as a student who
determined to take art minor at university, but as an ordinary person who has
both public and private lives, I was made to ponder upon true aspect of secrecy
and desirable attitude I should have toward it.
After the conversation finishes with a butler’s
indication of where Dorian Gray is – into the studio, Basil halts Lord Henry,
who just tries to get from the garden to the studio room in order to meet Gray,
by saying ‘Don’t spoil him. Don’t try to influence him. Your influence would be
bad.’(I.14 5-6) Such expression, extraordinarily, left me a sense of
attachment.
