Oscar Wilde. Il Sogno Italiano (1875-1900)

When Oscar Wilde was released from prison in 1897, he decided to move to Naples, hoping that 'masterpieces of flesh and marble' would inspire his revival as a writer. For Wilde, Italy signified many things: mythology, Hellenistic culture, beauty, and history; but also, in the final years of his life, a place populated by beautiful youths – like those photographed by Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden – where he could live his homosexuality openly and continue to create. Oscar Wilde: The Italian Dream is the unusual reconstruction of a little-known period in the legendary life of a contemporary icon. Introduction by Philip Kennicott.