-
Siegfried, Act II
Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent, born 1872 - died 1898 - Enlarge image
Siegfried, Act II
- Object:
Drawing
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
1892-1893 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent, born 1872 - died 1898 (artist)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen, ink and wash on paper
- Museum number:
E.578-1932
- Gallery location:
In Store
This drawing is an illustration relating to Act II of Richard Wagner's opera Siegfried. It was published in the first issue of the art magazine The Studio in April 1893. It is very finely detailed, and is characteristic of Beardsley's style at this period, with its so-called hairline calligraphic flourishes used for decorative effect. It demonstrates some of the many influences on Beardsley's distinctive drawings. These include reminiscences of prints by Andrea Mantegna and details from paintings by other Renaissance artists that Beardsley had seen in the National Gallery in London. It also carries echoes of the elongated figures and dense linear style characteristic of the work of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who was an associate of the Pre-Raphaelite painters. Burne-Jones was an important mentor and inspiration for Beardsley, who presented him with this drawing. Beardsley was flattered when he hung it in his drawing room alongside prints and drawings by Albrecht Dürer and others.
