Aubrey Beardsley Interiors
Aubrey Beardsley belonged to the Aesthetic Movement of 1890’s England, creating “Art for Art’s Sake”. They typically adored lilies, and decor details from Japan such as fans, cranes and blue-and-white ceramics, as well as exotic peacock feathers and palms, and luxurious velvets and embroidery.
Beardsley, a highly influential and subversive artist of the time, included interiors in a number of his illustrations. He purposefully created scenes where it’s unclear what’s decorative, and what’s actually there - for example, is that flower a motif on the curtain, or magically growing there? His use of line flattens the scene, portraying the essence of the decor, as well as confusing it with the “reality” of the scene.
Tristan Isolde series, Aubrey Beardsley, image via the Tate Britain.
Salomé Series, Aubrey Beardsley, image via the Tate Britain.
Aubrey Beardsley, image via the Tate Britain.
Read more about Aubrey Beardsley at the TATE Britain here.