Elegant "near-facsimile" edition of Beardsley's best-known works Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) lived a desperately short life and his career spanned just seven years. Nonetheless, his output as a draftsman and illustrator was prolific. Beardsley's subversive illustrations became synonymous with decadence: He delighted in the erotic, shocking audiences with his bizarre sense of humor and fascination with the grotesque. His work was deemed too scandalous by many publishers of the period, but found a suitably unseemly home with the notorious Leonard Charles Smithers (1861-1907). This book, published by Smithers in 1897, is as much a historic document as it is a beautiful introduction to Beardsley's art.

For those interested in the origins and development of modern art, and for those fascinated by a unique and divine talent that flourished far too briefly, "Fifty Drawings by Aubrey Beardsley" deserves a front and center position in any digital library. The black and white prints in this stunning edition are glorious compositions filled with unique designs, patterns of decoration, caricatures, flowers, dots and bold curvaceous lines. Beardsley's art evokes a bygone era of history, yet maintains a uniquely modern flair.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Rich selection of 170 boldly executed black-and-white illustrations ranging from illustrations for Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Balzac's La Comedie Humaine to magazine cover designs, book plates, and more.