Shvatanje Umetnosti u Kritičkim Ogledima i Prikazivanje Umetnosti u Prozi Oskara Vajlda

Abstract

Predmet istraživanja ove doktorske disertacije je Vajldovo shvatanje umetnosti, njene prirode i funkcije, izloženo u njegovim kritičkim ogledima u knjizi Namere (1891), esejima Duša čovekova u socijalizmu (1891) i De profundis (1905), i „Predgovoru“ za roman Slika Dorijana Greja (1891), kao i prikazivanje umetnosti i uloge umetničkih dela u njegovoj prozi: romanu Slika Dorijana Greja (1891), zbirci pripovedaka Zločin lorda Artura Sevila i druge priče (1891) i dvema zbirkama bajki Srećni princ i druge priče (1888) i Kuća narova(1891).

U uvodnom poglavlju odredili smo termine “shvatanje umetnosti” i “prikazivanje umetnosti”. Pod shvatanjem umetnosti podrazumevamo stavove koje je Vajld u vezi sa književnošću i umetnošću, njihovom prirodom i funkcijom, izložio u svojim esejima i „Predgovoru“, a pod prikazivanjem umetnosti podrazumevamo kakvu ulogu imaju umetnička dela u Vajldovoj prozi, kao i stavove o umetnosti koje iznose likovi u njegovom jedinom romanu, pripovetkama i bajkama.

U drugom poglavlju predstavili smo istorijski pregled dosadašnjih istraživanja Vajldovog shvatanja umetnosti i književnosti. Počeli smo sa prvim anonimnim prikazima zbirke Namere u časopisima Pall Mall Gazette (List Pal Mal) i Athenaeum (Ateneum)i studijom Artura Rensoma (Arthur Ransome); potom smo skrenuli pažnju na studije iz druge polovine XX veka autora kao što su Džordž Vudkok (George Woodcock), San Žuan Epifanio (San Juan Epifanio) i Ričard Elman (Richard Ellmann). Osim toga, predstavili smo i tekstove biografske prirode Džejmsa Lejvera (James Laver), Martin Fajdoua (Martin Fido) i Džona Stouksa (John Stokes). Na kraju ovog poglavlja, predstavili smo Vajldovo shvatanje umetnosti kako ga vide Džulija Pruit Braun (Julia Prewitt Brown) i Heder Markovič (Heather Marcovitch).

U trećem poglavlju analizirali smo Vajldova četiri kritička ogleda prvobitno objavljene u časopisima: “Istina maski” (1885), “Propast laganja” (1889), “Pero, olovka i otrov” (1889) i “Kritičar kao umetnik” (1890), a potom sakupljene u jednu knjigu pod naslovom Namere. Potom smo predstavili Vajldovo shvatanje umetnosti u njegovim esejimaDuša čovekova u socijalizmu i De profundis. Na kraju ovog poglavlja metodom pažljivog čitanja analizirali smo Vajldov „Predgovor“ za roman Slika Dorijana Greja. Kao glavne ideje koje Vajld iznosi o umetnosti pojavljuju se tri stava: umetnost je lepa; oblast umetnosti odvojena je od oblasti morala; glavna funkcija umetnosti je ili zabava ili uteha (la consolation).

U četvrtom poglavlju na osnovu dobijenih rezultata interpretirali smo estetske kvalitete i estetičke principe Vajldove proze. Posebnu pažnu pri analizi obratili smo na postupak dekorativne arabeske. Prvo smo analizirali roman Slika Dorijana Greja i njegovih pet segmenata: pozorišnu umetnost i sudbinu glumice Sibile Vejn; slikarstvo Bazila Holvarda; „teoriju“ Lorda Hernija; jedanaesto poglavlje romana i „žutu knjigu“ koju Dorijan dobija od lorda Henrija; a na kraju funkciju koju portret ima u romanu. Na osnovu analize romana pokazalo se da se Vajld u prozi ne pridržava svojih najvažnijih shvatanja iznetih u esejima. Potom smo predstavili zbirku Zločin lorda Artura Sevila koja kao negativan dokaz ide u prilog našoj tezi da se Vajld pri pisanju proze („fiction“) nije držao svojih larpurlartističkih načela. Na kraju ovog poglavlja analizirali smo bajke iz Vajldovih zbirki Srećni princ i druge priče i Kuća narova..

U zaključku smo uporednom analizom Vajldovih shvatanja umetnosti datih u ogledima i prikazivanjem umetnosti u njegovoj prozi pokazali da se Vajld kao kritičar i kao umetnik ne može posmatrati isključivo kao pripadnik pokreta larpurlartizma, odnosno da se Vajld u prozi nije držao svojih estetičkih načela proklamovanih u ogledima.

Alternate abstract:

The research topic of this doctoral dissertation is Wilde's understanding of art, its nature and function, as presented in his critical essays from the book Intentions (1891), in the essays The Soul of Man Under Socialism (1891) and De Profundis (1905), and in the Preface to the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), as well as the presentation of art and the role of works of art in his fiction: the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), a short story collectionLord Arthur Sevile's Crime and Other Stories (1891), and two collections of fairy tales, The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888) and A House of Pomegranates(1891).

In the introductory chapter we defined the terms of “understanding of art” and “the presentation of art”. By understanding of art we mean opinions on literature and art, their nature and function, which Wilde provided in his essays and “The Preface”, and by the presentation of art we mean the role which works of art may have in Wilde's fiction, as well as opinions on art voiced by the characters in his only novel, his stories and fairy tales.

In the second chapter we presented a historical survey of the previous research of Wilde's understanding of art and literature. We began with first anonymous reviews of the collection Intentions printed in the magazines The Pall Mall Gazette and Athenaeum,as well as Arthur Ransome's study; next, we shifted our focus to studies from the second half of the twentieth century, by authors like George Woodcock, San Juan Epifanio and Richard Ellmann. In addition, we also presented biographical texts by James Laver, Martin Fido and John Stokes. In the last part of this chapter, we presented Wilde's understanding of art as seen by Julia Prewitt Brown and Heather Marcovitch.

In the third chapter we analyzed Wilde's four critical essays originally published in magazines: “The Truth of Masks” (1885), “The Decay of Lying” (1889), “Pen, Pencil, And Poison” (1889), and “The Critic as Artist” (1890), which were later collected in a book entitled Intentions. Next, we presented Wilde's understanding of art in his essays The Soul of Man Under Socialism and De Profundis. In the last part of this chapter, by applying the method of close reading, we analyzed Wilde's “Preface” to the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. As the chief ideas about art as proposed by Wilde, there are three postulates: art is beautiful; the area of art is separated from the area of morality; the main function of art is either entertainment or consolation (la consolation).

In the fourth chapter, based on the results obtained thus far, we interpreted the aesthetic qualities and aesthetic principles of Wilde's fiction. A special attention in this analysis was paid to the method of the decorative arabesque. First we analyzed the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and its five segments: the theatrical art and the destiny of actress Sybil Vane; the art of Basil Hallward; the “theory” of Lord Henry; the eleventh chapter of the novel and the “yellow book” Dorian is given by Lord Henry; and finally, the function which the portrait has in the novel. Based on the analysis of the novel, it has been shown that Wilde does not adhere in fiction to his most important ideas presented in his essays. Next, we presented the short story collection Lord Arthur Sevile's Crime and Other Stories which, as a negative evidence, supports our thesis that in writing fiction Wilde did not adhere to his “art for art's sake” principles. At the end of this chapter, we analyzed fairy tales from Wilde's collections The Happy Prince and Other Tales and A House of Pomegranates.

In the conclusion, by a comparative analysis of Wilde's ideas on art presented in his essays and the presentation of art in his fiction, we showed that Wilde as a critic and as an artist cannot be observed solely as a member of the “art for art's sake” movement, i.e. that Wilde did not adhere in fiction to his aesthetic principles proclaimed in his essays.