Collection of 44 drawings
Aubrey Vincent Beardsley, 1890-1900
Beardsley was the leading illustrator of the Art Nouveau period and this collection was acquired for the nation on the centenary of the artist's birth.
The illustration depicted is How King Arthur Saw the Questing Beast and thereof had Great Marvel, 1893, which is a drawing for the frontispiece to Morte d'Arthur. Beardsley's detailed rendering of the scene emphasizes its fantastic nature, while his hairline drawing style ensnares the King, as though in a spider's web, mirroring his transfixed state.
15 other drawings out of the 44 are of special importance, including the design for cover of The Rape of the Lock, illustrations to The Lysistrata, and two drawings: The Lady with the Monkey (1897) and The Kiss of Judas (1893).
More information
Title of artwork, date
Collection of 44 drawings, 1890-1900
Date supported
1972
Medium and material
Pen, ink & wash
Grant
2700
Total cost
12700
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