Initial corruption of Dorian

"...but you never sat better. You were perfectly still. And I have caught the effect I wanted—the half -parted lips and the bright look in the eyes. I don't know what Harry has been saying to you but he certainly made you have the most wonderful expression... There was a look of fear in his eyes, such as people have when they are suddenly awakened. His finely chiselled nostrils quivered, and some hidden nerve shook the scarlet of his lips and left him trembling" (23). I believe that it is in this scene that the initial corruption and transformation of Dorian Gray begins. I find it interesting that the expression that Dorian makes as he is being "corrupted" by Lord Henry, is an expression that Basil truly adores. It is an expression that inspires Basil to create his "greatest masterpiece", as this is a new side to Basil's beloved Dorian that he has never seen before. In a sense, this scene is kind of like a child losing its innocence.