&quot;Intentions&quot; is a groundbreaking work of criticism, in four parts, by the inimitable Oscar Wilde. It was originally published in 1891 when Wilde was at the height of his form.<br />These brilliant essays on art, literature, criticism, and society display the flamboyant poseur&rsquo;s famous wit and wide learning. A leading spokesman for the English Aesthetic movement, Wilde promoted &quot;art for art&rsquo;s sake&quot; against critics who argued that art must serve a moral purpose. On every page of this collection the gifted literary stylist admirably demonstrates not only that the characteristics of art are &quot;distinction, charm, beauty, and imaginative power,&quot; but also that criticism itself can be raised to an art form possessing these very qualities.