"I know you will laugh at me," he replied, "but I really can’t exhibit it. I have put too much of myself into it."
– Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 1. Basil Hallward has become infatuated with the handsome and wealthy young Dorian Gray. His portrait of Dorian is a metaphor for his love for Dorian. He refuses to put it on show, as he doesn’t wish people to see this adoration through the painting.