The Dancer's Reward thumbnail 1
The Dancer's Reward thumbnail 2
Not on display

The Dancer's Reward

Print
1893 (drawn), 1894 (first published), 1907 (published)
Artist/Maker
Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent (artist)
Lane, John (publisher)
Place of origin
London (made)
London (published)

Black and white line block print on Japanese vellum depicting Salome, enveloped in a long black robe adorned with roses and with a clasp made of roses and extravagantly curled hair, in front of a high circular table on which lies the severed and bloody head of John the Baptist (Jokanaan). Salome grasps some of his hair in her right hand so the head is tilted back and gazes down upon it. There is a pair of slippers, presumably Salome's, in the lower right hand corner of the image.

Object details

Categories
Prints
Illustration
Theatre
Books
Designs
Object type
Print
Titles
  • The Dancer's Reward (generic title)
  • A Portfolio of Aubrey Beardsley's drawings illustrating 'Salome' by Oscar Wilde (series title)
Materials and techniques
Line block print on Japanese vellum
Japanese Vellum
Line Block
Brief description
Print by Aubrey Beardsley, 'The Dancer's Reward', plate XIV 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, enveloped in a long black robe adorned with roses and with a clasp made of roses and extravagantly curled hair, in front of a high circular table on which lies the severed and bloody head of John the Baptist (Jokanaan). Salome grasps some of his hair in her right hand so the head is tilted back and gazes down upon it. There is a pair of slippers, presumably Salome's, in the lower right hand corner of the image.
Dimensions
  • Height: 342mm
  • Width: 272mm
Dimensions checked: Measured 21/04/1999 by LH Current mount is H 53, W 38
Style
Decadent Movement
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'PLATE XIV' (Printed text in the lower left hand corner of the sheet.)
  • (Signed with the artist's monogram in the lower left hand corner of the image.)
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.
Production
First printed in 1894; this print is from the second edition, 1907.
Subjects depicted
Salome
John Saint John the Baptist
Association
Wilde, Oscar
Literary referenceOscar Wilde's 'Salome'
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1972
  • Calloway, Stephen. Aubrey Beardsley. London: V & A Publications, 1998. 224pp, illus. ISBN: 1851772197.
Other number
Plate XIV - Plate number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.435-1972

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1045835/the-dancers-reward-print-beardsley-aubrey-vincent/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest