Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was an English artist and graphic artist who, despite his short life, managed to become famous as an outstanding illustrator. His artwork is still admired for its precision and laconic drawing, partly reminiscent of the Japanese prints of which he was an admirer. Beardsley often painted on a white background, emphasizing the main thing, and formed his own style at the intersection of Art Nouveau, Japanese prints and traditional English illustration.
Good words
And themes for his drawings he chose a variety of different, not shy and frank eroticism, perhaps because he was young, not afraid of anything and did not expect to live long, because from childhood he knew that he was sick with tuberculosis, which at that time was tantamount to a sentence. We will talk about the bright and short life of an outstanding English graphic artist in this article.
Black cape
Aubrey came from a family of average wealth, however, his father went bankrupt, squandered all the money, began to drink, and the situation was partly corrected by his mother, who worked as a governess - not too honorable position for an educated and honorable woman, but nowhere to go. It was thanks to his mother Beardsley and joined the art - she wrote watercolors, could play the piano, and in general, wanted her son to become a musician. He was generally not a bad average student, played in the school theater and did not think too much about his tuberculosis, good mother sent him from smoky and damp London in Sussex boarding school.
Death and the artist
It wasn't until 10 years later, when Beardsley was living in London and working on a series of drawings for Salome in 1889, that the throat bleeding and harsh coughing became regular. Perhaps if he had spent all those years outdoors in a dry climate he would have lived much longer, but for Aubrey himself it would have been a very depressing life.
Salome with the head of John the Baptist
He diligently built the image of a talented prodigy-self-taught, although without art education did not do without - on the advice of a very respected by him artist-pre-Raphaelite Burn-Jones Beardsley studied at the Westminster School of Painting, where especially lay on the drawing, reasoning that the paintings in England and so plenty, but good illustrators for numerous magazines and books is not enough.
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Although about Beardsley can be accurately said that he "made himself" - stubbornness and willpower he was not occupied and, having firmly decided to become an illustrator, he never left this path. However, he left a lot of myths about himself - for example, that he drew literally in one breath, and the drawing was given to him as if by himself. In fact, everything is not so - had to long and carefully search for the necessary forms, pick up the right lines - this is evidenced by thinning from numerous corrections and erasures sheets of paper. And the seeming lightness is just a reflection of his talent, behind which you can't see the hard exhausting labor.
Arthur's death
Beardsley chose a variety of subjects for his drawings, often drawing obscenities. All this gave rise to speculation about his not entirely respectable personal life, even about his relationship with his sister, since Beardsley once told the American writer Frank Harris that "many people get their first lessons in sensuality from their older sister. With her he was indeed very close, although it was probably purely a kinship feeling, and maintained a good relationship throughout his life. It was she who was by his side in the last days of his life, her tireless care trying to ease his suffering.
Lysistrata addresses the women of Athens
In general, unfounded accusations about Beardsley was a lot - suspected him of non-standard orientation, especially after the scandal with the "Yellow Book" Oscar Wilde, that is, a book in a yellow cover, which the famous writer took with him to prison. And the main thing - Beardsley had nothing to do with it, just, to his misfortune, worked in the magazine "Yellow Book", and before that several times illustrated Wilde's works. But the journalists did not understand and all mixed up. The editors dismissed Beardsley out of hand, which gave the public even more reason to suspect him of being connected to the disgraced writer, who faced a long prison sentence.
Oscar Wilde
All this gave him a reputation as an "obscene artist" whose drawings were censored particularly carefully. However, they were so good that publishers, despite his dubious fame, willingly contracted Beardsley to create more illustrations, and they often surpassed the literary work itself.
Venus between the gods
Beardsley tried to live fast and have time for everything. He loved the theater, was a welcome guest at social events and parties, did not deny the pleasure of walking in a merry company until the morning. All this, and especially the damp climate of London undermined his health, weakened by tuberculosis and at the age of 26, the magnificent illustrator died, leaving behind a lot of excellent drawings and the fame of one of the best illustrators in England.
Buy handmade goods or modern art you can on artAlebrio - is an international marketplace for people who want to create, sell, buy and collect unique items and art - buy the best with us artAlebrio.com.
By confirming your order you unconditionally accept these General Conditions of Sale
