Aubrey Beardsley biography

Aubrey Beardsley

Artist's Biography


Born: August 21, 1872 City and Country of Origin: Brighton, England Painting School: Art Nouveau illustrator Art Training: Westminister School of Art Exhibitions: Awards: Major Works: "The Yellow Book," "Salome" Aubrey Beardsley Biography: He was a sickly child who contracted tuberculosis by the age of 9 a condition that would plague him throughout his all too short life. By his own admission he was not much to look at. His parents were of upper middle class origin, but Aubrey's father had squandered his inheritance and worked at local breweries. His mother aumented the families income by giving piano lessons. While at Bristol Grammar School he used his talents to create caricatures of his teachers. In 1889, he secured employment as a clerk in a London insurance office. His mother followed him and nursed him until his death. His first published drawings were a series of sketches known as "The Jubilee Cricket Analysis," which appeared in the Brighton Grammar School magazine. Also in 1889, his prose "The Story of a Confession Album," was published in the publication Tit Bits. Up to this point his work garnered little attention. Seeking entry into the art world he along with his sister went to visit the studio of artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones. They were sent away by a servant, but they caught the attention of the artist who was impressed by Beardsley's Pre-Raphaelite styled drawings. Jones recommended that the aspiring young artist attend Westminister School of Art. From 1883-84 the now schooled young artist received his first commission to produce illustrations for J. M. Dent's edition of Malory's Morte Darthur. The massive work included over 300 different illustrations. It was also in 1893 that he formed an alliance with the man who would catapult him to fame, Oscar Wilde. Wilde commissioned him to illustrate the English version of his scandalous play Salome. This led to an uneasy relationship with Wilde which ended when the author was convicted of sodomy in 1895. Beardsley's fame was established with the appearance of the famous quarterly of art and literature The Yellow Book in 1894 for which Beardsley served as editor. It was Beardsley's startling black and white drawings, title page and covers which contributed to the publications huge success. Died: March 15-16, 1898 To view the paintings of Aubrey Beardsley Please Click Here!