Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (Beardsley Aubrey Vincent)

(1872-1898)
Beardsley is best known as an illustrator of books by Oscar Wilde, but he owned, and illustrations for many other works, from ancient Greek drama to poetry Alexandra Popa. Literary images in his interpretation of the look is very subjective, sometimes painfully grotesque.
Beardsley was born August 24, 1872 in Brighton. His talent manifested itself early, but he has not received serious training and mastered the basics of artistic skills by copying the works of old masters. By 1895 his style can already be considered to be formed, it had a solid wavy line pattern, . separates patches of black and white, half-tones and texture of objects passed with crosshatching and engraving dotted,
. This mannered, refined style, perfectly matching the literary predilections Beardsley, made him a leading figure in art nouveau style. The style of the artist's individual and easily recognizable. It amalgam of numerous different influences: from the pre-Raphaelites, William Morris and the 'Arts and Crafts Movement' to the ancient Greek painted vases, and Japanese prints.

The first major order Beardsley - illustrations for the publication of the novel Death of King Arthur by Thomas Malory (1892). World renown artist brought erotic drawings for Oscar Wilde's Salome, created four years later.

For some books in addition to Beardsley illustrations designed the layout, the title page, flyleaf and cover art. Among the publications he designed almost all the books were published by his friend Leonard Smithers: Lysistrata (1896), Rape of the Lock (1896), Mademoiselle Maupin (1898).

Beardsley's prose style is the same unusual and quirky, like his graphic art. Beardsley died in Menton (France) 16 March 1898.