New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-08
TIE THEORIES OF A POET
AN INTERVIEW WITH OSCAR WILDE

AN INTERVIEW WI II bNCAIt W lI1l'I"
THE BEGINNING OF THE HsrHErIc MOVEMENT IN
ENGLAND-ITs INFLUENCE Of DREss-DU MAU-
RIER's CARICATUREs.
Oscar Wilde the poet and apostle of @stheticiSm.
is at present living in private house so that he
may secure the quiet and freedom from interruption
which his work demands. He occupies two rooms
furnished in q matteT-of-fact style, and has his
meals sent in from neghbOring restaurant The
centre table of his parlor yesterday was covered
with letters and invitations of all kinds and few
books. The poet himself had on a brown dressing
gown, with red cuffs, and brown trousers with red
silk cord along the sides. HIS shoes were patent
leather, with red silk stockings. On the lounge was
thrown carrlessya heavy ulster of olive green,
with fur collar and cuffs.
The groundwork Of nsthcticsm," said Mr..
Wilde, ia answer to the question of a TRIBUNE re-
porter lis that You cannot teach knowledge Of
! the beautiful; it must be revealed. A boy could
become learned in any scientific subject by the
stu of books the knowledge Of the beautiful is
| personal, and can only bo acquired by ones own
eyes and ears. This truth the origin of the
! theory Of beautiful surroundings. 4 child should
have around him from his infancy beautiful things.
Suppose YOU take mp volume Of Keats. If You are
in library furnished most are yOu have TO take
n spiritual jump, to speak. before You are in the
proper frame of mind to appreciate his poetry"
"Whcre you first Impressed with these
idtas2'
When | went to Oxford. which was the most
beautiful city had ever boon in. was given a
wonderful set of old wanscoated rooms IN Alagdaen
overlooking the river, near that graceful bridge
which they arc now pulling down for the sake Of
! tranway RasAn was th.n delivering "a series Of
lectures ON Florcntine Art and came
under his influence. | rather luxu-
rous in my nature, l think but l used to
assist Mr. Ruskin duh November mornings
in the prosalc occupation Of breaking stones and
making roads I'm 1901 went to Florence and
there the whole sp cudor OF Italian art was revealed
to me. When returned TO oxford | sounded my
companions most of them have since become artists
or literary men IN Londou and finding That theT
opinions conceded with nnc formed q little CO.
terc for the purpose of carrying ont our ideas and
Eilt our pans Tor great rev olutlon IN English NE
and art. In doing this, there Is doubt but that
We All purp0Sely went To the widest extremes III
dress and expressions.
The first time that the absolute stupidity of the
English people was ever revealed 10 me
was one Sunday at the University Church.
when the preacher opened his ser
mon in something this way: when
"a young man saws. not in polished banter but in
sober oamcstncss, that lie finds il difficult 10 1.-Two
up to ihe level of his blue china there has crcpt
into these clustered shades a form Of hcathenl-m
which II IS our bounden duty to fight against and
crush ont. IL possible. | need hardly say that we
were delighted and amused at the typical English
way III which ideas were misunderstood.
/ They took our .cpgrams ~ earnest,
and our paraioZes as prose. In 1877 rumors
of to movement began 10 reach Lon
don, and eN'iavasant expressions which We had
used were quoted IN the public prints. Il NauTer
finally began his Illustrations, which have been
KEEP, mp ever since. had never met him when he
did 50. l have never iel' panied ~ all by his
CaTicatTeS OF those of anyone else, and | think |
have enjoyed them fully much as anyone
w ID you tell ne something Of Your lie IN
London ,"
in 1875 went to London and tool, a house on
the banks Of the Iname, near ChaIlng Cross
IfItTH fftI glr.a
which lived n Ovford and embodied our ideas
Since then have frequently met Du Maurier in
society, aud have ta keu with INN about ms carr
When have thought they were clever have told
him so, rs dId when | thought them stupid party
OF my friend, and myself went 10 see PATIENCE on
The first night and We laughed or jccred at II aS IL
deserved As 10 Du Mauncra characters; sup
pose. lhlt 1 an he original OF HdHhe the poet.
TDSiitthWdue. the artist has no original
but }, % combination or 81 conEom. ration OF the
uecunaiitirs Of "a number OF my friends
As an artist my attitude toward al This thu q
true artIst who believes IN his aug his mission
must necessarily Ice altogether Iusensbe - praise
or blame. II he is not a mere suan he cannot he
GI'-uroc" b{ any cdiIc"tuie OF eAagsrfaIoA: re
has the ruth ON hi- side, and the opinion Ot the
whole world should be OF no consequence 10 him.
" How tar has tins theory OF beautiful Sunomd-
ings prrad =
at uas had the widest influence among tie best
classes OF society, s. etiscJ Is plainly marked in
their house, and heir furniture. No one IL The best
society n England would thuk now of building
house wiJhout taking into consdtra ION the IDEAS
aIcC II has not influenced, and nothing can m
uucncc them. The rcal strength of our movement
lies m the great spread OF beautiful designs among
the haudIcldltsueu of the various cities.
~ lat u.u.. &C has Tsthe.lcism had in stII To
drcssP
AS lar rs men are concerned IL is not so per-
cepublc. Bar among women there is distinct
tendency toward the most radical Cl.ugc bD.h in
the form Of the dress and III the introduction Of
novel ana D'autlul cJIUr-.'
"Bpt In America it has been understood that I'm
the matter OF color the tendency OF the move
lncut Was toward neutral tlnt>.'
81 here can be 40 beautiful color without tone. Ii
any tone i'm orchestra Is intensified two OF three
times II ceases 10 be music and is mere sound. The
people VINO believe IL pstheUcI-u follow out this
same theory IN regard tOcoOr but This doesn't shut
out any ordinary ones Tins is the Only concession
They M Ike 70 neutral tInts SO far as tho form OF
the dress is concerned, there has been "A
tendency among IaalyS toward sup
preston of tight waists and French mil
hmcTy, and return to more natural drapery.
lhaye seen many lovely dresses on ladies III society
not unlike those IN Patience. ! mean, OF course,
without that cNaggeratlon III embroidery which you
see IN the dresses ~ Patience, particularly that of
Lddy Jane As far the men are concerned have
a nope that they viii md their dress 80 utterly in
congIuous and dIScofdalt with that OF the ladies
thar they will be lnschsby influenced, 80 that there
viii he complete and radical reform In the mat
ter"
Well said Mr.. Wilde, with laugh. 81 don't
know. / have confomed II somewhat To my the
Dries hut intend after right interval TO follow
them out entirely. The essence OF good dressing Is
perfect couguIty. One must be careful not 90 be
too premature, but feel that at present velvet
T. @ most beau iul dress for As a rule wear
gray Oh brown velvet myself"
II believe myself" sad Mr. Wilde In conclusion !
"in the correlation OF the arts that painting poe
try and sculpture only different forms of tHe
same II til. nUt believe thar poets ana ARTISTS
should 1--we IN solitude but rather that they should
associate wiki each other and mix freely IN society
nave always done his myself. and Lave preached
my theories IN every salon IN London. have not
the sii 1htcst doubt of the complete success of the
movement tht'dc-iTe tor beauty Is merely height
eued torn Of the desire for life