Two controversial artists

Week 41's colours are Brick Red, Elephant Grey, Storm Cloud & Indigo

Oscar Wilde’s birthday anniversary will be on Thursday. Wilde (1854-1900), the Irish playwright, poet, and novelist was one of the most celebrated wits of the Victorian era. He’s famous for works like The Importance of Being Earnest, his sharp epigrams (which include ‘No good deed goes unpunished’) and his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, a book inspired by a portrait of himself painted in 1887 by Frances Richards.

Wilde was born on 16 October and this week I’m sure there will be readings of his works and visits to his grave with it’s unusual gravestone in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

This week’s prompt is linked to another controversial artist known for his social commentary. On a cold March night in 2021 the elusive street artist, Banksy, painted Oscar Wilde escaping from Reading Gaol in his audacious way on the tall red brick outer wall of the disused county prison in Reading. Wilde was imprisoned there from 1895-1897 and wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a poem about a man executed in the prison, shortly after his release.

So why was Wilde imprisoned? It was to do with the laws against homosexuality at the time, but ultimately it was to do with his own pride, vanity and stubbornness. Wilde was in a relationship with a young aristocrat, Lord Alfred Douglas also known as ‘Bosie’. When Bosie’s father, the wealthy Marquess of Queensberry, found out about the relationship he was furious and publicly accused Wilde.

Wilde decided to sue Queensberry for libel. The trial backfired spectacularly and Wilde was subsequently arrested and prosecuted under the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 for gross indecency. He was convicted and sentenced to two years hard labour, of which eighteen months was in Reading Gaol.

The experience destroyed Wilde both physically and financially: he was declared bankrupt to pay legal costs and his possessions, including manuscripts, letters, books and paintings were sold by auction.

Wilde was released in 1897, left England immediately and died in Paris just three years later at the age of forty six.

The mural of Wilde escaping Reading Gaol is more symbolic than factual (he never actually attempted to escape). It appeared overnight in March 2021 and was confirmed as a work by Banksy who had voiced his support for turning the disused prison into a centre for the creative arts. Instead it was sold to a Chinese ‘education foundation’ for £7m in 2024 who still plan to link it to the arts in some way (fingers crossed).

Here’s a photo I took the day after the artwork appeared, followed by the rather brilliant official Banksy video showing it’s creation, with a ‘voiceover’ from the celebrated television artist Bob Ross. Remember him?

Find out more about Wilde’s life here and read some of his quotations here. Like podcasts? Have a listen on The Rest is History’s two part podcast on the trials of Oscar Wilde. Banksy has an official Instagram feed, where he documents and authenticates works here.

‘Create Escape’, paint and marker on wall, Banksy, 2021

Colour Combination

The colours this week are Brick Red, Elephant Grey, Storm Cloud & Indigo. Use the colours along with a contrasting dark and neutral light colour if you wish. Create an artwork in any medium or style. Please share this post with someone who likes colour and might like this weekly dollop of colour and creativity.

I love seeing what you create with the prompts. If you’re posting on Instagram, please tag #coloricombo and #estemacleod and join us in the private Facebook group Creative Prompts.

Other Things

I’m back in my studio after a month in France. A fresh collection of sixteen paintings had been delivered this weekend to be shown at the Battersea Affordable Art Fair which takes place in London from 15 to 19 October. I’m represented by Iona House Gallery

With a bit more time on my hands I will be doing a live painting session in the coming days, I will send out an update soon.