"A Picture is a Purely Decorative Thing" is a brand new collection of essays and excerpts on the subject of The Arts written by Oscar Wilde. Contents include: "The Artist", "The English Renaissance of Art", "An Exposure of Naturalism", "Sculpture at The Arts and Crafts", "House Decoration", "The Poetry of Arch ology", "The Art of Arch ology", "Art and the Handicraftsman", "Mr. Morris on Tapestry", "Lecture to Art Students", "The Relation of Dress to Art", "London Models", "Pen, Pencil and Poison", "Printing and Printers", etc. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish poet and playwright who became one of the most popular in London during the 1880s and 1890s. Well-known for his sharp wit and extravagant attire, Wilde was a proponent of aestheticism and wrote in a variety of forms including poetry, fiction, and drama. He was famously imprisoned for homosexual acts from 1895 to 1897 and died at the age of 46, just three years after his release. A fantastic collection of interesting and thought-provoking essays not to be missed by those with an interest in the work and mind of this seminal literary figure. Other notable works by this author include: "Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890), "Salome" (1891), and "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895). Read & Co. Great Essays is proudly publishing this brand-new collection of classic essays complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of Oscar Wilde.