Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), The ballad of Reading gaol London, 1898 EL3 .W672b copy 2

Oscar Wilde, Irish playwright, author and poet who lived during the second half of the 19th century, challenged the prevailing notions of Victorian society that believed art and literature should be didactic. A proponent of the Aesthetic and Decadent movements, he believed in “art for art’s sake. He and fellow artists sought to celebrate beauty, foreground sensuality and promote artistic, sexual and political experimentation. Popular for his wit and work as a playwright, he by turns captivated and shocked his audiences.