Aubrey Beardsley

Aubrey Beardsley was an English author but was Renowned for being a great illustrator. He was born on August 21, 1872 but died on March 16 1898. Although Beardsley was a leading figure in the Aesthetic movement, he also played a major role in the development of Art Nouveau although he lived a very  short 25 years.

The major influences in Beardsley's career and style were Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the Parisian fashion for Japanese print. Most of his pieces are made using ink and feature large dark areas contrasted with large blank ones, and areas containing fine detail within areas with none at all. 

Beardsley's controversy within the Art Nouveau era is clearly evident within his work which usually displays dark,  erotic, and perverse images. His works were usually black and white, against a white background. The image of the left (like some of his drawings) is inspired by the Japanese Shunga artwork and it displays enormous genitalia.

Not only did he create artworks for himself, he also produce illustrations for books and magazines. Beardsley said, "I have one aim-the grotesque. If I am not grotesque", this showed that he took pride in his artwork and it showed that he felt that his grotesque style was what made him the man he was. 






Examples of Aubrey Beardsley's work: