- 184
Wilde, Oscar
Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 GBP
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Description
- Wilde, Oscar
- The Picture of Dorian Gray. London: Ward, Lock and Co., [1891]
- Paper
8vo (125 x 192mm.), FIRST EDITION IN BOOK FORM (with dropped "a" on line 23 on p.208), half-title, without final blank, original parchment backed buff boards, titled in gilt on upper board with ten "butterfly" designs by Charles Ricketts, spine lettered in gilt at foot with further "butterfly" designs, spine a little darkened and rubbed
Provenance
George Fleming, book-label
Literature
Mason 328
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
On initial publication in Lippencott’s Magazine in 1890, Dorian Gray received scathing reviews from the press, prompting the author to defend himself in a letter to the Daily Chronicle: "My story is an essay on decorative art…It is poisonous if you like, but you cannot deny that it is also perfect, and perfection is what we artists aim at." (Holland and Hart-Davis, The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde (2000), p.436). Even so, Wilde went on to revise the text for its publication in book form the following year, adding a new preface and six further chapters which lengthened the action by about nineteen years.