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Le Morte Darthur

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

A drawing in black ink depicting a stylised image of a faun in a forest, standing beside a pond with lily pads and plants, playing a herald’s horn.


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 VI, Book XX (p. 918 of vol. II) of Thomas Malory’s 'Le Morte Darthur', pen and ink, London, ca.1893-4
Physical description
A drawing in black ink depicting a stylised image of a faun in a forest, standing beside a pond with lily pads and plants, playing a herald’s horn.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 17.2cm
  • Sheet width: 5.6cm
  • Image height: 169mm
  • Image width: 53mm
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 VI, Book XX of 'Le Morte Darthur' which was published between 1893-4 by Dent.
Subjects depicted
Fauns
Forest
Pond
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: 659 Young Pan blowing a Horn Book XX, chapter vi By 1 June 1894 Victoria and Albert Museum, London (D.1824-1904) Pen, brush and Indian ink over pencil on pale brown wove paper; 6 13/16 x 2 3/16 inches (173 x 56 mm). INSCRIPTIONS: Verso in pencil: reduce by ¼ / 1 / [in ink]: D.1824-1904 / [stamp of the National Art Library] FLOWERS: Water lily pad (purity of heart); reed (complaisance, music). PROVENANCE: J. M. Dent; …; Miss Dodge; bt. Curtis Gallery; bt. Victoria and Albert Museum on 9 November 1904. EXHIBITION: London 1966-8 (183, London only); Tokyo 1983 (14); Munich 1984 (58); Rome 1985 (3.6). LITERATURE: Vallance 1897 (p.202), 1909 (no.59.xx); Gallatin 1945 (no. 345-624); Reade 1967 (p.323 n.144); Samuels Lasner 1995 (no.22). REPRODUCED: Le Morte Darthur, 1893-4 (p.918); Reade 1967 (plate 145). Like other classical motifs Beardsley drew, this satyr has a domesticated quality.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
D.1824-1904

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O860382/le-morte-darthur-drawing-beardsley-aubrey-vincent/
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