The Beax and the Belles by Aubrey Beardsley

The Beax and the Belles by Aubrey Beardsley

c.early 1900’s

Line block print

Titled The Beax and the Belles, by artist Aubrey Beardley in 1897 as part of the series of drawings for a luxury edition of Alexander Pope’s poem, “The Rape of the Lock.” It depicts 18th c. figures in elaborate attire. It illustrates a dramatic climax from Canto V of the poem. Where the heroine Belinda lunges forward to attack the Baron with her fan after he has stolen a lock of her hair. 

Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898) was one of the most innovative and controversial illustrators of the Art Nouveau era. Working primarily in black ink, he developed a highly distinctive style characterized by bold contrasts, sinuous lines, and imagery that blended the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. Influenced in part by Japanese woodblock prints, Beardsley's work challenged Victorian conventions surrounding morality, sexuality, and respectability. As a leading figure of both the Aesthetic and Decadent movements, he embraced the ideal of “art for art’s sake,” privileging beauty, fantasy, and sensual experience over moral instruction. His illustrations for books, magazines, and literary works helped redefine illustration as a sophisticated artistic medium and contributed significantly to the development of fin-de-siècle visual culture.

Dimensions: H 10 1/2 x 8 W

Condition: In very good condition