“All art is at once surface and symbol.”
- Date
- 1891
- Local voice
- Authorial / signed preface voice · Oscar Wilde — Preface
Meaning of “All art is at once surface and symbol.”
The aphorism resists a simple choice between appearance and hidden meaning: an artwork can operate through both at the same time.
Where does it come from?
The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891 edition, Preface; part of Wilde’s warning about reading beneath artistic surfaces.
Why the local voice matters
This is part of Wilde’s signed Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray.