Le Morte Darthur thumbnail 1
Le Morte Darthur thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Le Morte Darthur

Drawing
ca.1893-4 (made)
Artist/Maker
Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent (artist)
Place of origin
London (made)

A drawing in black ink on white paper depicting a stylised image showing two winged figures sitting on the ground surrounded by flowers and trees.


Object details

Categories
Drawings
Books
Illustration
Myths & Legends
Designs
Object type
Drawing
TitleLe Morte Darthur (series title)
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink on paper
Paper
Ink
Drawing
Brief description
Drawing by Aubrey Beardsley, design for the chapter heading of Chapter XIX, book VII (p. 254 of vol. I), in Thomas Malory’s 'Le Morte Darthur', pen and ink, London, ca.1893-4
Physical description
A drawing in black ink on white paper depicting a stylised image showing two winged figures sitting on the ground surrounded by flowers and trees.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 15.4cm
  • Image width: 8.3cm
  • Sheet height: 165mm
  • Sheet width: 91mm
Marks and inscriptions
'To [illegible] Mallam from Aubrey Beardsley' (Mount inscribed in ink)
Credit line
Purchased with Art Fund support
Object history
Beardsley was commissioned by J. M. Dent to produce illustrations for his intended republication of Malory's romantic tale 'Le Morte Darthur'; it was Beardsley's first commission. This design was for the chapter-heading of Chapter XIX, Book VII, of 'Le Morte Darthur' which was published between 1893-4 by Dent.
Subjects depicted
Winged Figures
Flowers
Trees
Associations
J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd.
Thomas Malory
Literary reference'Le Morte Darthur' by Thomas Malory
Bibliographic references
  • Calloway, Stephen. Aubrey Beardsley. London: V & A Publications, 1998. 224pp, illus. ISBN: 1851772197. chapter 3
  • Linda Gertner Zatlin, Aubrey Beardsley : a catalogue raisonne. New Haven : Yale University Press, [2016] 2 volumes (xxxi, [1], 519, [1] pages; xi, [1], 547, [1] pages) : illustrations (some color) ; 31 cm. ISBN: 9780300111279 The entry is as follows: 483r Two angels seated near Trees Book VII, chapter xix By 30 May 1893 Victoria and Albert Museum, London (E.309-1972) Pen and Indian ink over pencil on white wove paper(verso, pencil); 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches (165 x 89 mm). INSCRIPTIONS: Verso in pencil: ¾ black re[il;egible] / 11a / 3 [circled] / [in ink]: E.309-1972 / [in pencil]: Harari / 40.67.72 RS59 / 53 FLOWERS: Apple tree (temptation), marigold? (grief). PROVENANCE: Miss Mallam;...; R. A. Harari, by descent to Michael Harari; bt. Victoria and Albert Museum in 1972 with the aid of a contribution from the National Art Collections Fund. EXHIBITION: London 1966-8 (225). LITERATURE: Vallance 1897 (p.202), 1909 (no.59.xx); Gallatin 1945 (no. 345-624); Reade 1967 (p.319 n.97); Samuels Lasner 1995 (no.22). REPRODUCED: Le Morte Darthur, 1893-4 (p.254); Reade 1967 (plate 94). Beardsley inscribed the mount ‘To Miss Mallam from Aubrey Beardsley’. The angels are seemingly detached from their wings, which suggests those in Evelyn de Morgan’s Love’s Passing (1883-4, Russell-Coates Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth, UK), of which Beardsley may have seen reproductions in the press when they were exhibited and for sale in 1892 at the 21st Liverpool Autumn Exhibition, no.887 (Gordon 1996, plate 23). Beardsley would repeat the posture of the angel at the left in the first version of The Toilette of Salome (no. 871 below). 483v Sketch for A Snare of Vintage These pencil sketches of nude figures within an inked single-line border forms the top part of a preparatory sketch for the first version of A Snare for Vintage (no. 269 above) for Lucian’s True History (1894).
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.309-1972

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/O685615/le-morte-darthur-drawing-beardsley-aubrey-vincent/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest