Pictured on the left is Oscar Wilde and the right is Sir Alfred Douglas. Wilde sued for libel when the Marquess of Queensbury accused him of being a homosexual – a condemned quality in Victorian era England as homosexuality was criminalized. While he denied it heavily, he did have a close relationship with Douglas and Queensbury retaliated with charges against Wilde for “gross indecency.” Despite his success as an author, people classified Wilde as an “other” because of his sexuality and following his release from prison, his reputation never quite recovered.
History.com Editors. “Oscar Wilde Trial.” HISTORY, 7 May 2018, www.history.com/articles/oscar-wilde-trial.
"Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas, 1893" by Gillman & Co is licensed under Public Domain