Aubrey Beardsley exhibition book

This richly illustrated paperback book explores the intense and prolific career of illustrator Aubrey Beardsley.

Beardsley’s subversive, sinuous black-and-white drawings and his own complex persona became synonymous with decadence before his career was cut short when he died of tuberculosis aged 25. In his work he alighted on the perverse and erotic aspects of life and legend, shocking audiences with his bizarre sense of humour and fascination with the grotesque – in his own words, ‘a new world of my own creation ... quite mad and a little indecent’.

A major influence on the development of art nouveau, Beardsley's distinct style has resonated with subsequent generations. In 1966 he was the subject of a large monographic exhibition at the V&A, which triggered a revival and proved seminal for psychedelic pop culture and design. Beardsley’s drawings remain a key reference in body art today and retain great popular appeal.

Stephen Calloway is an independent art historian, curator and Beardsley scholar.

Caroline Corbeau-Parsons is Curator, British Art 1850–1915 at Tate Britain.

Clare Barlow, Project Curator, Wellcome Trust
Rosamund Bartlett, independent art historian and writer
Susan Owens, independent art historian, curator and writer
Emma Sutton, lecturer at the University of St Andrews
Joichiro Kawamura, Emeritus Professor, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo

• Exhibition Aubrey Beardsley
• Dimensions 29.8 x 19.6 cm
• ISBN 9781849766807
• Paperback Yes
• Number of illustrations 225
• No of pages 192 pp