The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray is the subject of a full-length oil portrait painted by artist Basil Hallward, who is captivated by Dorian's beauty and credits it with inspiring a new direction in his work. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, an aristocrat whose hedonistic philosophy—that beauty and sensual pleasure are life's only worthwhile pursuits—deeply influences him. Realizing his beauty will eventually fade, Dorian wishes to sell his soul so that the portrait, rather than he, will age and bear the marks of time. The wish is granted. Dorian then lives a life of amoral excess while remaining young and beautiful, while his portrait ages and visibly records each of his sins.