Aubrey Beardsley

Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was an English illustrator and author whose distinctive black-and-white drawings made him one of the most controversial and innovative artists of the 1890s. Despite his tragically short life—he died of tuberculosis at just 25—Beardsley created a body of work that fundamentally transformed book illustration and graphic design. His art was characterized by bold contrasts, sinuous lines, and an aesthetic that blended Japanese prints, Greek vase pain…