AUBREY BEARDSLEY

DANIELLA VALENTE

“England’s

greatest

master of

illustration”

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley was born on August 21st,

1872 in Brighton, Sussex, England.

In his early years, he excelled significantly in the

Arts, whether it be music or drawing.

Beardsley would past time in his class by

doodling grotesque versions of his teachers.

IN 1878, BEARDSLEY

CONTRACTED

TUBERCULOSIS WHICH HE

WOULD END UP BATTLING

FOR THE REST OF HIS

LIFE.

IN 1889, HE WORKED AS A

CLERK AT AN INSURANCE

OFFICE AND PRACTICED

DRAWING IN HIS SPARE

TIME.

1891: (BEARDSLEY’S ONLY

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING)

• Beardsley and his sister Mabel showed up at Sir Edward Burnes-

Jones studio where a servant sent them away.

• As they were walking away Burnes-Jones looked out the window and

spotted Mabel’s Red hair.

• Intrigued, Jones invited them in and took a look at Beardsley’s work.

• So impressed by this man’s work, he recommended that he take

evening classes at Westminster School of Art.

THE BEGINNING OF FAME

Sir Thomas Malory

hired Beardsley in 1893

to illustrate a new

edition of “Le Morte

d’Arthur”

Over 300 illustrations & chapter headings

THE LADY OF

THE LAKE

TELLETH

ARTHUR OF

THE SWORD

EXCALIBUR

HOW KING

MARKE FOUND

SIR TRISTRAM

SIR

LAUNCELOT

AND THE

WITCH

HELLAWES

1894

Beardsley was appointed Art Editor &

Illustrator of “The Yellow Book”, a quarterly

magazine dedicated to aesthetics, literature

and Art.

Oscar Wilde also reached out to Beardsley for

hopes that he would help with the illustrations

for his play “Salmone”

1895

Oscar Wilde gets arrested for Sodomy.

Beardsley then gets dismissed from The

Yellow Book due to his relationship with Wilde

THE

SLIPPERS

OF

CINDERELLA

GARCONS DE CAFE

Lady Gold’s Escort

COVER

DESIGN:

VOLUME V

DESIGN

FOR

FRONT

COVER

OF

SALOME

THE

WOMAN

IN

THE

MOON

1895-1896: THE SAVOY

Leonard Smithers approaches Aubrey Beardsley and Author

Symons to start a new magazine with Beardsley as the

illustrator and Symons as the editor.

Unfortunately, Publication came to a halt after a little more

than a year and “The Savoy” was no more.

Beardsley continued to work for Smithers illustrating other

Authors’ works.

• Pope’s : “The Rape of the Lock”

• Ben Jonsons’s : “Volpone”

In 1896:

Smithers also

published “A

Book of Fifty

Drawings”, the

first collected

album of

Beardsley’s

work.

THE

PEACOCK

AND THE

SUN

CLOSE UP

ON COVER

In Beardsley’s last years, his moved to the south of France

and was received into the Roman Catholic church.

On March 16th, 1898, at 25 years old, Beardsley passed away.

INSPIRATION

• Art Nouveau- characterized by its use of a long, organic line

• usually used in architecture, Interior Design, Jewelry/Glasswork,

posters and illustrations

• An elegant curvilinear style

• Curvilinear: consisting of line or lines

• Bold sense of design found in Japanese woodcuts

FUN FACTS:

• Career lasted only 6 years

• Major Figure in Art Nouveau Design

• England’s Greatest Master of Illustration

• One of the most Original Graphic artists of Modern Art

• Best known for erotic Black & White illustrations

• His work was most appreciated in 1960s

WORKS CITED: