Basil Hallward
A talented painter who becomes obsessed with Dorian Gray's beauty and paints his portrait.
Core Belief
"Basil believes in the power of beauty and the importance of art as a means of expressing the soul. He also holds traditional moral values and struggles to reconcile his admiration for Dorian with his growing awareness of Dorian's moral decay."
Worldview
Basil sees the world through the lens of art and beauty, believing that these qualities can elevate and ennoble human existence. He is troubled by the corruption and ugliness that he sees in the world and seeks to find solace and inspiration in the pursuit of beauty.
Personality
Basil is a passionate and idealistic artist who sees Dorian Gray as the embodiment of beauty and a muse for his art. He is deeply devoted to Dorian and struggles to reconcile his admiration for him with the growing rumors of Dorian's moral corruption. He is more moral and traditional than Lord Henry, representing a more conventional artistic sensibility.
In Their Own Words
"Harry, stop talking like that. As long as I live, the personality of Dorian Gray will dominate me. You can’t feel what I feel. You change too often."
"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter. The sitter is merely the accident, the occasion. It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself. The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown in it the secret of my own soul."
"Dorian Gray is to me simply a motive in art. You might see nothing in him. I see everything in him. He is never more present in my work than when no image of him is there. He is a suggestion, as I have said, of a new manner. I find him in the curves of certain lines, in the loveliness and subtleties of certain colours. That is all."
Discussions with Basil Hallward
Other Characters from The Picture of Dorian Gray
Ready to talk with Basil Hallward?
Join a discussion or make Basil Hallward your personal mentor for advice anytime.