Artists and Society Theme Analysis

In “The Model Millionaire,” Wilde examines the social function of artists, posing questions about their responsibility when it comes to depicting the world around them. Alan Trevor, for his part, confidently declares that artists should simply depict the world “as [they] see it, not […] reform it as [they] know it.” In other words, he suggests that art is purely representational—an impartial reflection of its subject matter.

At first, Alan’s perspective seemingly aligns with his callous remarks about the beggar who sits as a model for one of his paintings. Hughie is shocked that his friend doesn’t plan to pay the beggar very well for modeling, especially since Alan will undoubtedly make quite a bit of money from the painting. However, the story complicates Alan’s supposedly detached views about art when it’s revealed that the “beggar” is actually the millionaire who commissioned the painting in the first place. Although Alan claimed that artists should simply depict the world “as [they] see it,” he has manipulated reality by painting a millionaire dressed as a beggar. Of course, this is how he “see[s]” the world, but only because he has staged the scene.

The story doesn’t explicitly unpack the implications of Alan’s contradictory behavior. However, it’s possible Wilde is hinting that it’s difficult to make art with true objective detachment. Although artists might like the idea of simply depicting the world as it presents itself, the mere act of creation requires a certain level of interpretation (and, thus, manipulation) that ultimately involves the artist in the surrounding world. To remain completely aloof and passive, then, is harder than it might seem.