This portrait would be to him the most magical of mirrors… it would reveal to him his own soul.
The novel names the canvas for what it is: a moral mirror. Calling it “magical” keeps the Gothic mood while making the symbolism explicit. It lets Wilde dramatize conscience without sermons. The mirror language also turns looking into a choice: Dorian can face himself, or hide the thing away. Each glance becomes a test of honesty. The reader understands why secrecy grows—truth is simply too visible. The symbol clarifies the bargain: beauty outside, truth inside.