Aubrey Beardsley : The Aesthetics of Decadence and the Line Block Print

Aubrey Beardsley was one of the most prolific artists of the 1890s London avant-garde. While his career only lasted six years before he succumbed to tuberculosis, Beardsley produced over 1,100 works as a draftsman. Because his technique utilized the photomechanical reproduction process of line block, his work was able to be seen by the general public rather than only the elite few. Beardsley''s images were controversial in the face of Victorian-era sensibilities, regularly critiquing the repressive views of sexuality, gender roles, and consumerism seen in society. During his short but impressive career, he created illustrations for Oscar Wilde, Alexander Pope, Aristophanes, and others.

This catalog documents the printed work of Beardsley, containing images of his work from the Rowe Collection, a condensed biography on Aubrey Beardsley by Sara Smith, and an essay by Christina Glover describing the line block technique. Accompanying the catalog illustrations are commentaries by Patrick M. Rowe.