Beardsley’s Dark Elegance

Beardsley, Aubrey (1872–1898) - Illustrator

'The Woman in the Moon' [Salomé Illustration] [Art Nouveau Masterwork]

A refined black-and-white line block illustration of ‘The Woman in the Moon’, after Aubrey Beardsley, originally created in 1894 for Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé.

The composition presents two elongated female figures set against a stark, dreamlike landscape dominated by a looming, stylized moon with a human face. Beardsley’s signature use of negative space and fluid contour creates a quiet, almost hypnotic atmosphere—less grotesque than some plates, yet deeply symbolic and unmistakably tied to the Decadent aesthetic.

DETAILS:
+++ Title: The Woman in the Moon
+++ 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
+++ Notes: Plate number present in lower margin (covered by mat); uneven trimming from binding edge, not affecting image and fully concealed by mat

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
+++ Recognized illustration from Beardsley’s Salomé series
+++ Distinctive lunar motif with anthropomorphic moon figure
+++ Elegant use of negative space and minimal line
+++ Two elongated female forms rendered in classic Beardsley style
+++ Strong example of the quieter, symbolic side of the Decadent movement

CONDITION: Very Good. The impression remains strong with crisp, well-defined line work. Light, even age-toning to the sheet. Minor edge irregularities from original binding removal, fully covered by the mat and not affecting display.
+++ Matted and ready for framing; enhances contrast and ensures long-term preservation.

Historical Context —
Created in 1894 as part of Aubrey Beardsley’s influential illustrations for Oscar Wilde’s Salomé, ‘The Woman in the Moon’ reflects a more restrained and atmospheric dimension of his work. While many plates in the series emphasize grotesque theatricality, this composition instead relies on space, balance, and symbolic imagery to evoke mood and psychological tension.

Issued in Bodley Head editions such as this 1907 printing, Beardsley’s illustrations continued to shape early 20th-century visual culture. His synthesis of line, symbolism, and design remains foundational to Art Nouveau and the broader evolution of modern graphic art.

Subjects: Aubrey Beardsley, Salomé, Oscar Wilde, Art Nouveau illustration, Decadent movement, fin-de-siècle art, Bodley Head publications, Art, Illustration, Decorative Arts, Ephemera, symbolic imagery, lunar motif.

Item #21821

Price: $110.00