AUBREY BEARDSLEY (1872-1898)

PUBLISHER / CHILDREN'S BOOKS. 1894.

30x19 3/4 inches, 76 1/4x50 cm.
Condition B: replaced losses, abrasions and time-staining at edges; repaired tears and restoration in margins and image and along horizontal fold; faded. Matted.

Beardsley designed this image as a stock poster, leaving the entire right side available for the printer's text. "The most striking thing about Beardsley's work, and the source of its immediate fame, is the intense, erotic (or better, narcissistic) atmosphere it exudes. Once the shock of recognition passes, it can be seen that Beardsley was an incredibly assured draughtsman and a perversely inventive designer" (Word & Image p. 18). This elegant, reclining woman with a low-cut dress (made more modest with a brooch) is certainly an unexpected image to see promoting the sale of children's books. In La Plume's 1899 Album d'Affiches et d'Estampes, only the image was offered for sale. It is rare to find the complete poster with the text. DFP-I 5, Reims 1348, The Poster no. 11.