Oscar Wilde, the Victorian-era writer-come-celebrity, has continued to make headlines over 120 years after his death in 1900.
In February this year, an image of the famed writer, snapped a mere three hours after passing away in a Paris hotel room on 30 November 1900, sold at auction by Bonhams, London, for a whopping $375,000 (£279,800 / AU$525,065), blowing the presale estimate of $5,375–$6,719 (£3,000–£5,000 / AU$$5,610–$9,350) out of the water.
The faded image depicting the recently deceased Wilde is heavily aged, with the sepia tones and high contrast rendering it hard to make out at first glance. However, upon closer look, you can see Wilde face up, wearing a white dress and surrounded by flowers.
It was taken by Maurice Gilbert, a French marine infantryman and an acquaintance Wilde had made shortly before his death. Also present in the room during Wilde’s final moments were close friend Robert Ross, writer Reginald Turner, and hotel proprietor Jean Dupoirier, who had dressed Wilde in the white gown and laid the flowers.
On the back of the image is an inscription handwritten by Ross, which details what the image depicts. Before being sold at auction, the image was part of the Jeremy Mason Collection, with Mason, an esteemed collector of Oscar Wilde memorabilia for over 60 years, certifying the handwriting to be that of Ross.
Despite being one of the foremost literary figures of Victorian Britain, known for works including The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde’s health deteriorated after serving two years in prison after the writer was convicted of "gross indecency" – a legal term that was used at the time for homosexual acts.
After a stint in prison for his “crimes,” Wilde left the UK, spending the latter three years of his life in Paris, living at the Hôtel d'Alsace, where his final picture was taken.
You might also like
Read about these rare signed photos of former US presidents that fetched a pretty penny at auction.
