Oscar Wilde's final words were a witty insult directed at his hotel's wallpaper.

Oscar Wilde passed away on November 30, 1900, at the age of 46 in the Hôtel d'Alsace in Paris. He was living in exile and poverty following his imprisonment in England for 'gross indecency.' The famous quote regarding his wallpaper was recorded by his friend and literary executor, Robert Ross, who remained by his side during his final days.The wallpaper in the cheap hotel was described as a particularly hideous shade of yellow. Wilde was a leader of the Aesthetic Movement, which championed 'art for art's sake,' making his disdain for ugly decor a consistent theme throughout his life. Medical historians believe Wilde actually died of cerebral meningitis, likely stemming from a chronic ear infection he developed while in prison.While the wallpaper quote is his most famous 'last word,' some biographers note that he actually fell into a coma shortly after making the remark. He received the last rites of the Catholic Church before he died. The Hôtel d'Alsace has since been renamed 'L'Hôtel' and remains a luxury destination that honors Wilde's legacy. His final quip remains one of the most cited examples of 'gallows humor' in literary history.