The Critical Impression: Oscar Wilde’s “The Critic as Artist”

In his famous dialogue “The Critic as Artist,” Oscar Wilde argues for the importance of criticism as an art form. He claims that creativity can only progress through criticism, because it continually “invents fresh forms” (901). It is true that without this critical influence, art would tend to reproduce itself, as there would be no force to deter its repetition.

He also stresses the importance of personality in the critical art form, because it is the critic’s job to interpret the art form he is portraying. According to Wilde, “personality is an absolute essential for any real interpretation” (911).

However, Wilde’s proposal that criticism is the most difficult and most weighty art form is questionable. Though he supports his argument well, writing “it is very much more difficult to talk about a thing than to do it,” he seems to believe that creativity is meaningless without criticism (903). This view is apparent in his description of the Mona Lisa, which “becomes more wonderful… than it really is” through its criticism (906). He argues that the original work of art is simply a “starting point” for something more distinctive. By glorifying criticism, however, Wilde undermines art itself. He seems to forget that without the creative form, criticism would lose its source; beautiful criticism must start with beautiful art.