Beardsley’s Dark Elegance

Beardsley, Aubrey (1872–1898) - Illustrator

The Eyes of Herod [Salomé Illustration] [Art Nouveau Masterwork]

Decadent Art Nouveau Masterwork
A striking black-and-white line block illustration of ‘The Eyes of Herod’, after Aubrey Beardsley, originally created in 1894 for Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé.

The composition presents Salome crowned in an elaborate peacock-feathered headdress, rendered in Beardsley’s unmistakable graphic language—elongated figures, ornamental patterning, and dramatic contrasts of black and white. The scene captures the psychological tension and symbolic intensity of Wilde’s play, where desire, spectacle, and power converge.

DETAILS:
+++ Title: The Eyes of Herod
+++ Artist: Aubrey Beardsley
+++ Original Date: 1894
+++ Publication: John Lane, The Bodley Head (London), 1907
+++ Medium: Line block illustration on Japan vellum
+++ Image Size: Approximately 8.5 by 7 inches
+++ Presentation: Professionally matted to 8 by 10 inches, ready for framing

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
+++ Iconic illustration created for Wilde’s Salomé, one of the defining works of the Decadent movement
+++ Salome depicted with elaborate peacock-feather headdress, a hallmark of Beardsley’s stylization
+++ Strong black-and-white contrast with intricate ornamental detail
+++ Classic example of fin-de-siècle British illustration and graphic design
+++ Printed by The Bodley Head, central to disseminating Beardsley’s work

Condition: Very Good. The impression remains strong with crisp, well-defined line work. Light, even age-toning to the sheet. Minor edge wear consistent with removal from a bound volume. Matted and ready for framing; enhances contrast and ensures long-term preservation.

Historical Context —
Originally created in 1894, ‘The Eyes of Herod’ forms part of Aubrey Beardsley’s celebrated suite of illustrations for Oscar Wilde’s Salomé, a work that became emblematic of the Decadent movement in late Victorian Britain. Beardsley’s illustrations, with their provocative imagery and refined graphic precision, challenged conventional aesthetics and helped redefine modern book illustration.

Published posthumously in editions such as this 1907 Bodley Head issue, these images ensured the continued influence of Beardsley’s vision into the 20th century. His work would go on to shape Art Nouveau, early modernist design, and the broader language of graphic art.

Subjects: Aubrey Beardsley, Salome, Oscar Wilde, Art Nouveau illustration, Decadent movement, fin-de-siècle art, Bodley Head publications, black and white line art, Art, Illustration, Decorative Arts, Ephemera

Item #21818

Price: $100.00