Basil Hallward

[artreveals]

independent && selective Basil Hallward from The Picture of Dorian Gray. loved (&& ruined ) by Alice (+25 ). book, movie && headcanon based. verses compatible with THG and various other fandoms. follows back from @wcndxrlnd.

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[ravenoffthecliff]

what do you despise? by this are you truly known.

-frank herbert, from "dune"

[icecreamwithjackdaniels]

Andreas Achenbach (German, 1815–1910), "Storm at Sea off the Norwegian Coast" (details II), 1837. Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main.

[artreveals]

While going through this book, I came across a The Artist's Preface that proceeds the regular preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray. None of my other versions contain this part of the text and I am...confused about how I've never seen this before.

[artreveals]

I read The Model Millionaire (Wilde, 1887) today, and Alan Trevor and Hughie reminded me a lot of Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray. "Trevor was a painter. Indeed, few people escape that nowadays. But he was also an artist, and artists are rather rare. Personally he was a strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard. However, when he took up the brush he was a real master, and his pictures were eagerly sought after. He had been very much attracted by Hughie at first, it must be acknowledged, entirely on account of his personal charm. [...] However, after he got to know Hughie better, he liked him quite as much for his bright, buoyant spirits and his generous, reckless nature, and had given him the permanent entrée to his studio." (Wilde, 1887)

Physical description Neither of them is considered typically handsome, almost in contrast with the art they create.

Trevor "he was a strange rough fellow, with a freckled face and a red ragged beard."

Basil "I really can't see any resemblance between you, with your rugged strong face and your coal-black hair, [...]. [...] of course you have an intellectual expression, and all that." [description by Lord Henry]

The interaction with Hughie/Dorian The description Basil gives of meeting Dorian feels like an exaggerated version of Trevor's history with Hughie.

Trevor "He had been very much attracted by Hughie at first, it must be acknowledged, entirely on account of his personal charm. [...] and had given him the permanent entrée to his studio."

Basil "I knew that I had come face to face with some one whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself. [...] I couldn't be happy if I didn't see him every day."

[venustapolis]

Lonely Boat (Hans Thoma, 1880)

[artreveals]

@firejugglinghobo said:

Come into the light. Let me see your face.

inspired by: ✦ ⋆ 𖤓 ⋆ ✦ 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄 

Basil took several seconds to register the stranger's command. His breathing was no longer rapid but slow and deliberate, and his head was swimming, making it hard to concentrate. Then, after a brief moment of hesitation, he pushed himself away from the wall that had been keeping him upright. There was blood on his shirt - rather a lot of it - and he must have looked like a ghost in the pale morning light.

"No hospital - please..." he had to get away from here, and he couldn't do that if he was stuck in a hospital, surrounded by worried onlookers.

Only, the artist didn't think he was going to make it home on his own - at least not before the street became so crowded that someone was bound to notice him. His best bet was to hope that the stranger who had happened upon him was just the right amount of concerned: not so much so that he would insist on getting him to a hospital - or worse, draw public attention to his current state - ; but not indifferent to the point of leaving him out in the streets in this state.

"My place isn't far from here."

[artreveals]

@endless-youth said:

“ i understand you. ” 

inspired by: ꧁poetry sentence starters꧂

A small smile graced Basil's features as he turned to Dorian. He wondered if he understood how much he longed to believe those words. Understanding was a rare thing these days - or perhaps it always had been - and the artist had all but given up on the romantic fantasy of finding someone who truly understood.

For a moment, he wanted to accept the other's statement for what it was, but his need for it to be more than just wishful thinking pushed him to ask instead:

"What makes you say that?"

[governmentofficial]

Mycroft had been in Basil's position before, of course. He too liked a good drink on occasion. The difference, however, was that he never got caught indulging. He kept it private and ensured that he was incredibly unlikely to be disturbed,

Mind you, Basil had done the same. He'd had no way of knowing that Mycroft had been about the arrive on his doorstep. Should he have planned for the possibility? Potentially, but that was always easy to say in hindsight. Whatever the case, the point was that Mycroft was not unfamiliar with the other man's pain, though it would be a lie to claim that he had sympathy with it.

"Your work," he replied, because that had been what he had been referring to. "You're going to be busy tomorrow. I am commenting on my hope that you'll still be able to function without the risk of mistakes."

Like any wise citizen of the Capitol, Mycroft had a suspicious streak to him. With the political climate being what it was, it paid to be paranoid. So, with that in mind, it was hardly surprising that Basil's response triggered some concerts.

What did he mean 'what do you know'? What was he hiding?

Mycroft's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Unless you believe I should be referring to something else?"

[artreveals]

"I got that part-" Basil replied, a little on edge as well as increasingly selfconscious about the fact that someone as high ranking as Mycroft was witnessing him at the sort of low you hardly shared with a close friend. This would have been bad had he overindulged in company, but drinking alone reflected an infinetely worse image.

"-but you brought it up. That it would be a shame if something 'planned' were to....", he couldn't quite remember the wording, "Do you suspect they're planning something? Is that why you're here, at this hour?"

His questions were voiced almost the instant they popped up in his head and while Basil wasn't normally the nervous type, Mycroft's suspicion had unsettled him. Why was he here? It had to mean someting was wrong. This wasn't an ordinary visit, or else he would never have found Basil in such a state, and why bring up plans being put into motion at all if you didn't suspect something like that was going to take place?

"Look, if there's anything I need to be made aware of...you- you should tell me, instead of making vague statements..."

He wanted to say more - something along the lines of an apology or a promise to assure tomorrow would go smoothly - but, thankfully, he still possessed enough reason to realise that nothing he tried to voice now would land the way he intended it to, and remained silent.

[hollowprompts]

` * 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 : 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝘯𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩. 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 (+ 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦) 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦.

𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 -

01. avoids eye contact or looking at the floor. 02. wringing hands together in silence. 03. fidgeting with the hem of their shirt, unable to stay still. 04. looking at receiver in long silence before looking away. 05. silently leaves a folded note on the table in front of the other. 06. touches the others arm but pulls back out of guilt.

𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 -

01. slams fist onto a table without saying a word. 02. exhaling sharply through their nose and clenching their jaw. 03. throws an object across the room. 04. crossing their arms tightly, digging fingers into their own skin. 05. pacing the room with heavy steps. 06. glares at the other with a clenched fist.

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 -

01. gently pushing stray hair behind the others ear. 02. resting their forehead against the others. 03. cups the others face with both hands. 04. pressing a kiss to the others forehead in silence. 05. lingering touches against the others face. 06. wraps their arms around the other from behind and rests their head on the others shoulder.

𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 -

01. wiping their eyes before someone can notice. 02. pressing their face into a pillow to muffle sobs. 03. pulls the other into a desperate hug and wont let go. 04. silently reaching for the others hand, needing comfort. 05. walks into the room with red-rimmed eyes and no words.

𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 -

01. spins the other around without warning in a hug. 02. links arms with the other and tugs them along happily. 03. provides the other with a handmade gift. 04. tackles the other in a sudden and joyful hug. 05. kisses the others cheek unexpectedly and grins.

𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 -

01. backing away slowly and looking for exits. 02. hiding behind the other and peeking around. 03. flinches at sudden movement from the other. 04. presses their back against the wall with eyes darting around the room. 05. jumps at a noise and instinctively grabs the others hand.

𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

01. tucks a blanket gently around the other person's shoulders. 02. applies a bandage with slow and deliberate care. 03. brings them food and water and watches to ensure they eat. 04. runs fingers through their hair in efforts to soothe. 05. rubs soothing circles on the others back while they cry. 06. stays silently by the others side in support without saying a word.

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

01. raises a hand but hesitates. 02. grips the others arm a bit too tightly. 03. pushes the other away with more force than necessary. 04. turns their back on the other to begin walking away without a word. 05. rips a shared photo in half without a word. 06. steps in closely with cold and narrowed eyes.

[mythshire]

✦ ⋆ 𖤓 ⋆ ✦ 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄 ··· a collection of injuries tended in silence, pain worn like armour, the intimacy of being seen at your worst. genre: hurt and comfort, angst, romance, drama.

• You're bleeding through your shirt. Don't tell me you're fine. • How long have you been walking around like this? • I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to see how bad it is. • You should have told me the moment it happened. • Hold still. I mean it. Hold still. • This is going to sting. Bite down on something if you need to. • You've been hiding this for days, haven't you. • Who did this to you? I need you to tell me who did this. • Stop being brave for five minutes and let me help you. • I've seen worse. I've also seen men die from worse, so let me look at it. • I found the bandages in the trash. You want to explain that? • Don't you dare apologize for bleeding on me. • Your hands are cold. That's not a good sign. • I'm not angry. I'm terrified. There's a difference. • Come into the light. Let me see your face. • You should have stitches. I know you won't go. So sit down and let me do what I can. • You're white as a sheet and still trying to stand up straight. • I could hear you in the night. I didn't say anything. I'm saying something now. • Don't look at it if it makes it worse. Just look at me. • It's not weak to let someone see you hurt. • You came to me. Of all the places you could have gone, you came here.  • Lay back. You're not getting up until the color comes back to your face. • I'm not going to ask what happened. Not yet. First let me fix what I can. • You've been holding your left side since you walked in. Think I didn't notice? • This is going to leave a mark. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. • I've patched up a lot of people in my time. None of them scared me like you do right now. • You could have died out there. You could have died and I would have been the last person to know. • Sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere. • You're allowed to make a sound. Nobody's watching. • I need you to stay awake for me. Just a little longer. Talk to me. • You're lucky the cut wasn't deeper.  • Stop apologizing for needing help. Stop it right now. • I've seen what it looks like when someone's used to this. That's what scares me most about you. • Tell me your name. Tell me what day it is. Stay with me. • You're going to be alright. I promise you.  • You went back out there after this? With this? • Nobody takes care of you, do they? That ends tonight. • I've been gentle with you. I need you to be honest with me in return. • You're safe now. You're here, you're safe, and I've got you. Just breathe.

[purpledragongifs]

Ben Chaplin as Basil Hallward and Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray in Dorian Gray.

Gifs made by purpledragongifs. All gifs are 540px wide.  Please do not delete credits.

[irisili0]

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be loved the way I love—the way I obsess, the way I care, the way I look at them, the way I wonder, the way I almost worship.

[lonlylook]

the picture of Dorian Gray, a summary:

[dreamwalker-resources]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ settings for the restless.

An hour + an action to find my muse at the late/early hours.

* 00:00: pouring a glass of wine.

* 01:00: looking at the stars.

* 02:00: working.

* 03:00: listening to music with the lights off.

* 04:00: lighting a cigarette on the porch.

* 05:00: walking home.

* 06:00: getting ready for the day ahead after a sleepless night.

[oldpaintings]

The Roses, 1925-26 by Claude Monet (French, 1840--1926)

[artreveals]

What Color Is Your Aura?

climbing ivy, snake eyes, frogs, rainboots, koi ponds, abandoned places, clovers. your essence is green: you are bright-eyed and cerebral, unearthing questions. you are devoted to your pride; you struggle to feel worthwhile if you do not have any answer for everything. it is hard for you to not fixate intensely and be certain you are not mundane. you are the orator. you are the totem. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of forest, sage, chartreuse, and jade, who share your desire to learn. you are also drawn to the creative souls blue and orange, who will help you grow and know it is okay to stay guessing. however, you may struggle to get along with the bleeding heart personalities of pink and yellow who are too wrapped up in pleasing others.