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Home / Wall Art Prints & Posters / Art Prints / Classic Art Prints & Posters / Aubrey Beardsley Prints
Aubrey Beardsley, a trailblazer within the Art Nouveau movement. His work shocked and delighted Victorian London and brought a touch of the glamorous and grotesque to the European art scene. If you are looking for decadence and extravagance, look no further than our collection of Beardsley prints.
Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was an English illustrator, whose works represented the aestheticism of the ‘ART NOUVEAU’. His unique style and bold line drawings of the late 19th century had a huge impact on the modern art world and to this day his works remain some of the most beloved in history.
Aubrey Beardsley was born in London in 1872, the illegitimate son of a parlour maid and a piano teacher. Despite his humble beginnings, he excelled in school, specifically in French and drawing. Encouraging this talent, he was enrolled in the Westminster School of Art. At the age of sixteen he secured a job as a draughtsman for an author who was working on an illustrated edition of The Bible.
His first literary illustrations were for The Yellow Book, an avant-garde quarterly. His works were soon being put on book covers and in magazines such as Savoy, Le Strange, Aletheia and The Peacock. His illustrations gained huge fame and demand and he even went on to become art director at J.M. Dent & Co.
Aubrey Beardsley’s works depict themes of beauty and sensuality, often behind a veil of anonymity. His most famous works are Salome, a drawing of an oriental dancer, To Magician’s Table, a drawing of two magicians and The Tuft of Primroses, two young girls picking primroses in a sunny countryside. He also has a number of illustrations from from Le Strange, The Jubilee Book of English Poetry, Aletheia and Savoy.
Aubrey Beardsley’s works are a classic investment for any collector, especially for those interested in the Art Nouveau movement. His works are bold and distinctive, representing a specific period in the history of art. Beardsley was ahead of his time and was one of the earliest illustrators to make full use of modern-day printing techniques.
Aubrey was able to capture the beauty of a scene in just a few lines and his use of bold oil pastel hues gives his work a unique, atmospheric quality. The works possess an innocence which makes them timeless, and they also feature beautiful details, unexpected images and subtle edits that can be noticed only upon closer inspection. In addition, most of his works are extremely rare and can fetch a good price on the market.
Today, Aubrey Beardsley’s work is as popular as ever, with prints of his work being sold across the globe. His instantly recognizable black-and-white illustrations have been immortalized in books, posters and artworks. Many of his illustrations have also been adapted into film and music, with many of his works being used as album covers and movie posters. His bold and sensual, yet elegant style has been widely imitated and incorporated into theatre, opera and ballet productions.
Ultimately, any collection that lacks the works of Aubrey Beardsley is incomplete. His works offer an insight into a bygone era and his use of classic aesthetics make them equally appealing to modern audiences. With the ever-increasing demand of his works, there is no doubt that owning a piece of Aubrey Beardsley’s work is a great investment which is sure to gain value over time.