Oscar Wilde relative to deliver lecture

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it, advised Oscar Wilde in his novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

Wilde followed his own advice to the proverbial letter, resulting in a colorful but brief (1854-1900) life replete with scandal, notably his incarceration on charges of sexual misconduct in 1895.

However, Wilde also left a body of work that continues to delight readers and audiences more than 100 years after his death. The university will celebrate Wilde’s literary accomplishments and their historical context Feb. 2-5 through a weekend of lectures, films, a theater reading and an art exhibition.

Activities will culminate with a lecture Monday, Feb. 5, by Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland, author of the newly released “The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde” and “The Wilde Album.” Holland says one of his grandfather’s most remarkable achievements is his enduring appeal.

“For long periods over the last 100 years, he was considered something of a second-rate author, as he was a literary, sexual and political rebel. However, he is as popular now as he was unpopular then,” Holland says. “In my lecture I plan to examine Wilde in the context of the 1890s, and address the question of why he is so enduringly popular and why his work has such resonance for modern readers and audiences.”

Holland plans to speak at 7:30 p.m. in Great Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St. In addition to his appearance, the symposium, “Art and the Individual: Decadence and Democracy in the Modern Age,” will feature lectures:

• “Oscar Wilde and Women” by Margaret Diane Stetz, associate professor of English and women’s studies at Georgetown University.
• “The Wildes of Scandinavia: A Survey of Nordic Decadence” by Susan Brantly, UW–Madison professor of Scandinavian studies.
• “Aubrey Beardsley and the Origins of Art Nouveau” by Linda Zatlin, Morehouse University.

The lectures will be Saturday, Feb. 3, starting at 1 p.m. in the Elvehjem Museum of Art. On Sunday, Feb. 4, collector-bibliographer Mark Samuels Lasner, president of the William Morris Society of the United, will present a gallery talk on “The Pursuit of the Rare: Three Early Beardsley Collectors.” Lasner will speak at 2 p.m. in the special collections room on the ninth floor of the Memorial Library in conjunction with an exhibition presenting decorated books from the James G. Nelson collection. The exhibition runs through Feb. 28.

A film series sponsored by the Department of Comparative Literature will present three features in Memorial Union (check Today in the Union for room):

• Friday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m., “The Trials of Oscar Wilde,” a fictionalized account of Wilde’s affair with Lord Alfred Douglas.
• Saturday, Feb. 3 , at 7 p.m. :”Dorian Gray,” a 1970 co-production from Italy-Liechtenstein.
• Sunday, Feb. 4, 2 p.m., “Oscar Wilde: Spendthrift of Genius,” a documentary on Wilde’s creative side.

Milwaukee’s Marquette University Players will present readings from Wilde’s fairy tale, “The Birthday of the Infanta,” Feb. 3, at 11 a.m., the Elvehjem Museum, 800 University Ave..

Clearly, there was more to Wilde than the scandal which yielded “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” The incident often introduces modern audiences to Wilde’s life and times, says his grandson Merlin Holland. “Echoes of that scandal can be heard right across the century, both in the public perception of Wilde and in the life of my own family,” Holland says, adding that he hopes the weekend activities will inspire people to look beyond the sensational trial.