Basil, an artist strongly impressed by the beauty of a young man named Dorian Gray, paints his portrait. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian wishes to always be the age he was when Basil painted him in the picture. While he forever maintains the same appearance, the portrayed figure ages for him. His quest for pleasure leads him to a series of acts of lust; but the portrait serves as a reminder of the effects on his soul, where the portrait reflects the burden of his aging and his sins.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only novel written by Wilde. Publication of the novel scandalized Victorian England, and it was used as evidence against Wilde when he was tried and convicted in 1895 on charges related to homosexuality. The novel became a classic of English literature and was adapted into a number of films.