In the brief span of his life and career, Aubrey Beardsley (1872-98)
galvanized public attention in 1890s London with his exotic renderings
of subjects, which often projected the sensual and the grotesque. This
splendid volume brings together the best of Beardsley's work -- a rich
selection ranging from illustrations for Laclos's Les Liaisons
Dangereuses and Balzac's La Comédie Humaine to magazine cover
designs, book plate silhouettes, title-page ornaments, and delightful
mini-portraits of major composers. Also included are two photographs of
the artist, consisting of private portrait studies by Frederick H.
Evans.
Over 180 beautifully reproduced black-and-white plates capture the
uniqueness of Beardsley's vision and reveal the seductive power of his
art. Among the illustrations are brilliantly conceived vignettes from
Le Morte D'arthur, Venus and Tannhäuser, Salome, and Lucian's True
History as well as enchanting creations for The Yellow Book (an
influential British arts quarterly), and much more.
Characterized by bold black masses, elongated shapes, and sensually
provocative figures, these works are the product of a remarkable
individual style that transformed the art of illustration. Reproduced
here in an inexpensive high-quality format, they are certain to thrill
not only Beardsley enthusiasts but anyone interested in the early years
of modern graphic art.