DOI: 10.36871/hon.202101011
Authors
D. L. Lebedev
State Institute for Art Studies, Moscow, Russian Federation; Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, Russian Federation
Abstract
Art critics rarely write about the creative connection between the outstanding representative of Decadence-era book and magazine illustration Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898) and the famous Edwardian graphic artist Arthur Rackham (1867–1939), usually limiting themselves to a couple of superficial facts. Despite this, there is evidence of the former's influence on the latter, which requires thoughtful study. During his career Rackham turned many times to Beardsley's work, his opinion about the outstanding fin de siècle graphic artist changed over time, allowing him to acquire certain features of his early deceased contemporary, to quote his drawings, to be inspired by the same artists and art trends. Rackham was particularly influenced by the early period of Beardsley's work, specially his illustrations for "The Death of Arthur" (1893–1994), which was reflected in the design of several publications illustrated by Rackham: from the "Ingoldsby Legends" in 1898 to "The Romance of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" in 1917. In this regard, the article provides a detailed analysis of the creative dialogue between the Edwardian illustrator and the legacy of the prominent fin de siècle graphic artist.
Keywords
Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham, book graphics, illustration, art nouveau, fin de siècle
