Beardsley Author:Aileen Reid When Aubrey Beardsley died in 1898 he was not yet 26 years old. Yet he had by then enjoyed fame and notoriety in almost equal amounts, and his contemporary Max Beerbohm dubbed the 1890s the "Beardsley Era." — Since that time Beardsley's art has grown in popularity so that by the 1960s no self-respecting student room was without an I... more »solde or Peacock Skirt poster, and his sinuous, black-and-white drawings were familiar to millions... In Beardsley, the author tells the story of Beardsley's life, and describes some of the artistic influences which shaped his style. Photographs of Beardsley, portraits of him by some of his artist friends, early and preparatory sketches, and important contemporary paintings and drawings all bring this tale to life. This is complemented by a selection of sixty of Beardsley's black-and-white illustrations, from the medieval Morte Darthur, through Salome and the startlingly erotic Lysistrata, to the delicate "embroideries" to the Rape of the Lock and Volpone. Along with color lithographic posters and book jackets, these make this a delightful tribute to this tragic fin-de-siecle figure.