BEARDSLEY, Aubrey

“I have worked to amuse myself, and if it has amused the public as well, so much the better for me.”

Aubrey Beardsley's work has become synonymous with the fin de siecle period, his brief career has left a striking legacy of artwork, book illustrations and posters, all in his distinctive art nouveau style. Born in Brighton, Beardsley was an avid reader and book lover. He took up an uninspiring job with an insurance company, until a meeting with Burne-Jones gave Beardsley the courage embark on his career as an artist. A childhood bout of tuberculosis had left Beardsley permanently weakened and he finally succumbed to the disease in 1898, at the age of 25.

During his brief career Aubrey Beardsley created some of the most iconic images of the fin de siecle period. His contributions ranged from cover designs for the Yellow Books to a remarkable set of illustrations to Malory's Morte D'Arthur. Other illustrated works include The Lysistrata of Aristophanes, Pope's The Rape of the Lock and Wilde's Salome.

Please scroll down to see our current stock of first editions and illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley.