Oscar Wilde

I've expressed my opinion over the state of Oscar Wilde's final resting place quite a few times now and thought that with the recent addition of the glass surround the subject was closed. (refer to entries 29th August 2012, 20th August 2012, 3rd December 2011, 7th July 2011 and 11th September 2010).

Tourist would no longer  kiss with red lipstick or indeed just graffiti the stone sculpture of Sir Jacob Epstein. Yes, I was aware that some visitors had chosen instead to throw their flowers over the glass surround but this created a different problem as the flowers began to die and look unsightly but despite this I wasn't expecting the site I came across when I last visited his final resting place back in May 2013.

The 2 photos below present you with the sight that greeted me. It now seems that the whole sculpture has been surrounded by a barrier to prevent those visitors who wish to throw flowers over the glass surround from doing so. It now resembles to me like a road side dig. This might seem like a good idea but I can't help thinking that it takes something away from the experience of visiting Oscar's final resting place. In fact, the way it looks now resembles that of Jim Morrison's grave site and so there is a precedent being set as to how these important sites are being set up for visitors when they feel that people aren't respecting them the way they would like.

Yes, I accept that a minority of those who do visit have in some ways brought this on themselves with their behaviour but to those who pay their respects in a more dignified way it does tend to and I repeat - spoil the experience.  

As an artist who understood the importance of the philosophy of aesthetics I can't help reflecting that Oscar himself would be upset with how his final resting place has come to look.

One can only hope that the surrounding barrier is only a temporary solution until a better way of viewing Oscar's final resting place is found.

Oscar Wilde's final resting place at Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.

The Winged Angel sculpture designed by Sir Jacob Epstein.