"Footnote To The Nineties A Memoir Of John Cray & Andre Raffalovich" 1968 SEWELL, Brocard

SEWELL, Brocard

[121] pp.

Cecil and Amelia Woolf

First Edition

1968

8" x 5.25"

Jacket design by Nicola Wood

Fine/ Fine

The subject of this book is the man who was said to be the model for the main character in Oscar Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray". John Gray grew up in the east end of London, and due to his intelligence, aesthetic sensibilities and Adonis-like looks, he became a member of Wilde's inner circle in the late 1880's. Wilde paid for the publication of Gray's first book of poetry. According to a 2008 article in The Guardian, Gray drifted away from Wilde in the early 1890's, as he became increasingly uncomfortable as Wilde became less and less guarded in his behavior. During Wilde's trial for homosexual behavior that resulted in his incarceration in Reading Gaol, a lawyer representing Gray is said to have attended the trial to see if Gray's name was mentioned. It was not. Gray turned to religion and spent the rest of his life as a highly regarded Catholic priest. Andre Raffalovich, a wealthy Russian Jew who converted to Catholicism, became Gray's long time friend and protector, and published an account of Wilde's trial. Gray and Raffalovich are credited with having converted Aubrey Beardsley to Catholicism as Beardsley was dying. This book was written by a priest, Father Sewell, and was published by Cecil and Amelia Woolf - Cecil was the nephew of Leonard and Virginia Woolf.