Christa Giles

Of course, throughout Wilde’s and Huysmans’ work,
the dandy is equated with the artist and the critic – the
appreciator of beauty. And as Wilde reiterates, ˝there is no
fine art without self-consciousness…self-consciousness and
the critical spirit are one.˝ 129 The word ˝self-conscious˝ refers
both to the dandy’s analytical cerebral bent and his need to
play a role. Lord Henry claims, therefore, that the dandy’s
aesthetic sense ensures that his feeling for ˝dramatic effect˝ 130
functions to transmute life into a play. ˝Suddenly,˝ he says,
˝we find that we are no longer the actors, but the spectators
of the play. Or rather we are both. We watch ourselves, and
the mere wonder of the spectacle enthralls us.˝ 131 The
merciless unceasing dissection of the self and others is first
depicted in Baudelaire, and is seen in its most extreme form
Huysmans. ˝Nous nous sommes tellement appliqués a
sophistiquer notre coeur,˝ we are told in ˝La Fanfarlo,˝ ˝nous
avons tant abusé du microscope pour étudier les hideuses
excroissances, et les honteuses verrues dont il est couvert.˝ 132
In Huysmans’ dandies we are permitted to see the dissective
mental workings of the dandy; in Wilde’s work, conversely,
the process is simply described.
The detached critical faculty of the dandy results in
the ˝observateur passionné˝ being jaded and overwhelmed
by ˝ennui.˝ He searches for meaning or attempts to create it
˝ex nihilo,˝ but by wallowing in the extraordinary and
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