Stephen Fry Discusses a Portrait of Oscar Wilde

When it comes to comparisons, Stephen Fry has certainly been compared to Oscar Wilde any number of times.  It didn’t help that he played him in a 1997 film, I suppose. Yet if you are going to be compared to someone, you could do far worse than Wilde.  Of course, that wasn’t always the case and here, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery in London, Fry talks about his discovery of Wilde and the connection he feels to the man is obvious – he gets quite emotional at one point in this short.  One can only wonder at how Wilde would have judged Fry’s recent turn as Lady Bracknell in a controversial but nevertheless very popular revival of The Importance of Being Earnest.

This video is part of a series by the National Portrait Gallery which gives people the opportunity to discuss a portrait that has shaped their lives.  It’s a lovely idea and I hope it long continues.  Watch Stephen Fry wax lyrical over Oscar below.

The Statues of Dublin and their Notorious Nicknames

Dublin is littered with statues.  It seems close to a national obsession in Ireland to erect them.  Perhaps not far behind is the predilection of the inhabitants of this fair city to give them nicknames.  A stroll near the Ha’penny Bridge will bring you to these two charming ladies, having a rest after shopping for their families.   They were placed there as part of a project to celebrate the millennium of the city in 1988 and represent the ordinary women of the city.

Image Credit Flickr User Infomatique

Image Credit Flickr User markhealy

Charmingly (or not) one of the bags was snatched a little while after the statue was placed there.  What statement the unknown thief was making is unknown but the bag was made of bronze and it was very, very heavy.  Fortunately it was returned, but what of the local nickname for this amiable salute to the womenfolk of Dublin.  Why, the ‘Hags with the Bags’ of course.

The Toy Soldier and the Ballerina

A few meters can be a long way if that is what separates you and the object of your desire. Here, however, the toy soldier leaps over to his ballerina with ease and grace, so enabling them to dance together for the first time.

This charming animated short was created by sbn for their final animation project for their Bachelor degree at Teeside University in the UK. For some reason this piece works as if it is one of the fairy tales written by Oscar Wilde rather than any other writer.  Answers on a postcard as to why I might think why....

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Wilde's Classic Animated in 8 Minutes

The only novel written by Oscar Wilde, his 1890 work The Picture of Dorian Gray is regarded as a classic work of gothic literature. Its strong Faustian themed storyline tells of a young and beautiful upper class man. Basil Hallward, a painter, creates a portrait of the good looking aristocrat. Dorian sees it unveiled and whimsically announces that he would sell his soul so the portrait could grow old rather than he. The wish, as you might expect, is fulfilled.

This is an 8 Minute adaptation of Picture of Dorian Gray.  It represents Thomas Beg’s 15 week Major Project at UCA Rochester as part of his CG Arts and Animation degree. It is exceptionally well done, retaining the gothic eeriness of the original as well as ably pulling the story in to eight minutes. Perhaps it is best if you have read the book or seen one of the movies before, but if you are studying the novel this could very easily beat Cole’s Notes when it comes to helping you remember the sequence of events!

Yet if you are a Wilde fan (are they called Wilde-oholics, Wildeans or even wildebeasts?) you will adore this, as I did. The use of black and white seems more than appropriate and the use of shadow is superb.  Although I can only guess I suspect Oscar would have approved.

Please note – I have resized the animation so it can fit in to a window here – the original was somewhat larger but I thought most people would be unable to view it properly that way. If you click full screen you will get the full effect!