Aubrey Beardsley Centennial Exhibition
Princeton University Library
Through January 7, 1999
The Princeton University Library is currently commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of the Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (1872-1898), the celebrated English artist and book illustrator, with an exhibition in the Leonard L. Milberg Gallery for the Graphic Arts, Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library.
The exhibition draws on the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections’ unrivaled Beardsley holdings, including original drawings, posters, photographs, correspondence, literary manuscripts, illustrated books, memorabilia, and other materials. Most of these materials were donated to the Princeton University Library a half-century ago by A.E. (Albert Eugene) Gallatin (1881-1952), the American artist, art critic, art historian, and collector. Gallatin’s gift was supplemented by materials from the J. Harlin O’Connell Collection of the 1890s and by other gifts. With 125 original drawings, Princeton can boast the finest Beardsley collection in the world.
Aubrey Beardsley’s brilliant but controversial work was emblematic of the English fin-de-siecle. This most literary of artists was much influenced by the pre-Raphaelites, Japanese woodblock printmakers, and contemporary French writers. But he was more than the sum of influences, developing a unique artistic vision that was bold and original despite its eclecticism. Through his drawings and writings, he became the leading exponent of a British movement referred to by its detractors as "decadent," much as was Oscar Wilde in literature.
While Aubrey Beardsley only lived to age 25 and is closely associated with the 1890s, he had a profound influence on visual arts and book illustration for decades. Among the nearly 100 items on exhibit are original drawings, first editions, and other materials pertaining to Beardsley’s contributions to Sir Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte Darthur (1893-94), Oscar Wilde’s Salome (1894), The Yellow Book (1894-95), The Savoy (1896-97), and The Lysistrata of Aristophanes (1896) and other illustrations published by Leonard Smithers. Also included are portraits of Aubrey Beardsley by such contemporary artists as Sir William Rothenstein and Max Beerbohm.
The exhibition is curated by Mark Samuels Lasner, author of Selective Checklist of the Published Work of Aubrey Beardsley (1995); and Don C. Skemer, Curator of Manuscripts.
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
