Design for List of Illustrations
Print
1893 (drawn), 1894 (first published), 1907 (published)
1893 (drawn), 1894 (first published), 1907 (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Black and white line block print on Japanese vellum depicting Salome on the left of the image in a long flowing robe and an elaborate hairstyle comprised of stylised roses, with her back to the viewer, although she is twisting around so her face is in profile. To her left is a tall lit candle, whilst to her right are two stylised butterflies.
In the bottom right hand section of the image is a kneeling grotesque Eros, the Greek god of love, with wings, mask and exposed breasts. Surrounding both figures is a profusion of stylised roses and leaves. There is a large empty rectangle on the right of the design for the text.
In the bottom right hand section of the image is a kneeling grotesque Eros, the Greek god of love, with wings, mask and exposed breasts. Surrounding both figures is a profusion of stylised roses and leaves. There is a large empty rectangle on the right of the design for the text.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Line block print on Japanese vellum |
| Brief description | Print by Aubrey Beardsley, 'Design for List of Illustrations', plate IV from 'A Portfolio of Aubrey Beardsley's drawings illustrating 'Salome' by Oscar Wilde', published by John Lane, London, 1907, line block print on Japanese vellum |
| Physical description | Black and white line block print on Japanese vellum depicting Salome on the left of the image in a long flowing robe and an elaborate hairstyle comprised of stylised roses, with her back to the viewer, although she is twisting around so her face is in profile. To her left is a tall lit candle, whilst to her right are two stylised butterflies. In the bottom right hand section of the image is a kneeling grotesque Eros, the Greek god of love, with wings, mask and exposed breasts. Surrounding both figures is a profusion of stylised roses and leaves. There is a large empty rectangle on the right of the design for the text. |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'PLATE IV' (Printed text in the lower left hand corner of the sheet.) |
| Credit line | Given by Michael Harari, in memory of his father, Ralph A. Harari |
| Object history | From 'A Portfolio of Aubrey Beardsley's drawings illustrating 'Salome' by Oscar Wilde'. Second issue. Published by John Lane, London [1907]. With contents sheet in letterpress and 17 plates [E.422 to 438-1972] in a portfolio of grey-green paper boards, half bound in vellum, with green silk tapes, stamped in gold with title and the rose-bush motif from the 1894 edition. With the stamp of A. Lang Buchhandlung Moskau inside the front cover. The plates are no longer in the portfolio but are now mounted separately. According to Stephen Calloway in his book, Aubrey Beardsley, London: V&A Publications, 1998, p. 74: this image was initially designed as an alternative to the design for the title page, E.423-1972, 'in which the genitalia were very pronounced. Persuaded by Lane [the publisher] to rethink at least some details, Beardsley confessed in a letter to Ross, 'I think the title-page I drew for Salome was after all "impossible". You see booksellers couldn't stick it up in their windows. I have done another [version] with rose patterns and Salome and a little grotesque Eros, to my mind a great improvement on the last.' In the event, both versions appeared, the second being used for the 'list of pictures', whilst the original was allowed to stand as the title - but only once the offending elements had simply been blanked out.' |
| Production | First printed in 1894; this print is from the second edition, 1907. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Literary reference | Oscar Wilde's 'Salome' |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | Plate IV - Plate number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.425-1972 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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