Frederick Hollyer
Aubrey Beardsley
PainterKnown for:
black-and-white illustration for Salome and The Yellow Book
Education:
Westminster School of Art (briefly); largely self-taught
Aubrey Beardsley produced most of his mature work between 1892 and his death at 25 from tuberculosis, developing a black-and-white illustration style of extreme line economy and erotic sophistication associated with the Aesthetic Movement and the Yellow Nineties. His illustrations for Oscar Wilde's Salome (1894) and his work for The Yellow Book and The Savoy were scandalous and widely reproduced. He converted to Catholicism near the end of his life and asked his executrix to destroy his more explicit drawings.
Aubrey Beardsley's Gear List(1)
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VamWebsite
Connection note
Primary medium for his iconic Art Nouveau illustrations; applied with pen and brush on white wove paper
Product description
A carbon-based drawing ink made from fine soot particles (lampblack or carbon black) suspended in water with a binding agent, traditionally shellac. India ink dries to a permanent, waterproof, deep black finish and works with brushes, dip pens, and technical pens. It has been used for writing and drawing for thousands of years across Asian and Western traditions.
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Last updated March 20, 2026
