Oscar Wilde 
The Picture of Dorian Gray 

The Picture of Dorian Gray is an epoch-making philosophic novel by Oscar Wild dedicated to the topic of degradation of morals and consciousness. According to the plot, an unspoiled young man Dorian Gray, first introduced to the high society, meets a wealthy spiritual patron descending the young man into the world of hedonism. Step by step, through a range of life events, Dorian loses his morals, yet, his face keeps young, speaking of unspoiled innocence. The secret of this phenomenon lies in the magical peculiarity of a portrait Dorian received as a present. The portrait ages instead of Dorian, letting him conceive the traces of sinful life.