Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish author, poet and playwright who rose to prominence in the late 19th century. After experimenting with different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential dramatists in London during the early 1890s. He is widely regarded as the greatest playwright of the Victorian era. Wilde was a key figure in the Aestheticism movement, which emerged in the late 19th century. He is best known for his Gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, published in 1890, as well as his witty epigrams, plays, and bedtime stories for children. His work combined artistic innovation with sharp social commentary. In 1895, Wilde was convicted of gross indecency and for practicing homosexual acts, an event that marked a dramatic turning point in his life and career.