Jane Avril of the Moulin Rouge
Last Updated 4th January 2021
  • Home
  • Biography
  • Contact
  • Craig's Blog
  • Further reading
  • Gallery
  • Life at the Salpêtrière
  • Links
  • Quotes
  • Timeline
  • Tributes
  • Snapshots/Courtauld Memories
  • In Memory
  • What you said
  • *Fictional Jane

Oscar Wilde

10/30/2013

0 Comments

 
I've expressed my opinion over the state of Oscar Wilde's final resting place quite a few times now and thought that with the recent addition of the glass surround the subject was closed. (refer to entries 29th August 2012, 20th August 2012, 3rd December 2011, 7th July 2011 and 11th September 2010).

Tourist would no longer  kiss with red lipstick or indeed just graffiti the stone sculpture of Sir Jacob Epstein. Yes, I was aware that some visitors had chosen instead to throw their flowers over the glass surround but this created a different problem as the flowers began to die and look unsightly but despite this I wasn't expecting the site I came across when I last visited his final resting place back in May 2013.

The 2 photos below present you with the sight that greeted me. It now seems that the whole sculpture has been surrounded by a barrier to prevent those visitors who wish to throw flowers over the glass surround from doing so. It now resembles to me like a road side dig. This might seem like a good idea but I can't help thinking that it takes something away from the experience of visiting Oscar's final resting place. In fact, the way it looks now resembles that of Jim Morrison's grave site and so there is a precedent being set as to how these important sites are being set up for visitors when they feel that people aren't respecting them the way they would like.

Yes, I accept that a minority of those who do visit have in some ways brought this on themselves with their behaviour but to those who pay their respects in a more dignified way it does tend to and I repeat - spoil the experience.  

As an artist who understood the importance of the philosophy of aesthetics I can't help reflecting that Oscar himself would be upset with how his final resting place has come to look.

One can only hope that the surrounding barrier is only a temporary solution until a better way of viewing Oscar's final resting place is found.
Picture
Oscar Wilde's final resting place at Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.
Picture
The Winged Angel sculpture designed by Sir Jacob Epstein.
0 Comments
    Picture

    Archives

    June 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2018
    July 2018
    November 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    March 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.