Physical description

Portrait format drawing in black and white depicting a naked male angel, with wings both on his back and heels, surrounded by a large heart. This heart is the centrepiece to an ornate candelabra. Just above on each side, ornate bowls of fruit are depicted, with vines trailing down at each side of the heart.

Place of Origin

London (made)

Date

1895 (made)
1898 (first published)

Artist/maker

Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent, born 1872 - died 1898 (artist)

Materials and Techniques

Drawing, pen and ink over traces of preliminary graphite on paper

Dimensions

Height: 274.6375 mm, Width: 176.2124 mm, Height: 27.4 cm, Width: 17.7 cm

Object history note

According to Stephen Calloway in his book Aubrey Beardsley. London: V & A Publications, 1998, p. 129: 'Drawn as a frontispiece for Raffalovich's book of poems, The Thread and the Path, the design was rejected by the publisher David Nutt, owing to the hermaphrodite nature of the figure personifying Love.'

Descriptive line

Drawing by Aubrey Beardsley, 'The Mirror of Love', design for the frontispiece illustrating the line 'Set in the heart as in a frame Love liveth' in the first of a collection of poems by Mark André Raffalovich, entitled 'The Thread and the Path', pen and ink and wash, published by David Nutt, London, 1895, but not used

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings Accessions 1934 London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1935
p. 129
Calloway, Stephen. Aubrey Beardsley. London: V & A Publications, 1998. 224pp, illus. ISBN: 1851772197.

Materials

Paper; Pen and Indian ink

Techniques

Drawing

Subjects depicted

Candelabra; Personification; Camp; Fruit; Men; Love; Androgyny; Winged figure; Nudes

Categories

Drawings; Illustration; Designs; Gender and Sexuality

Collection

Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection