Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was a renowned British artist and illustrator, celebrated for his striking and often controversial works during the late Victorian period.

Born in Brighton, Beardsley showcased a remarkable talent for drawing from a young age. He later moved to London, where he became integral to the Aesthetic Movement, which emphasised art for art's sake, celebrating beauty and style over moral considerations.

Beardsley produced extensive illustrations for books and magazines, for example for a deluxe edition of Sir Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur', and he worked for magazines such as The Studio and The Savoy, of which he was a co-founder. As a co-founder of The Savoy, Beardsley was able to pursue his writing as well as illustration, and a number of his writings, including 'Under the Hill' (a story based on the Tannhäuser legend) and 'The Ballad of a Barber', appeared in the magazine.

One of the most notable aspects of Beardsley’s career was his association with the eminent playwright Oscar Wilde. Beardsley illustrated Wilde's play 'Salomé', which debuted in French in 1893. His interpretations of Wilde's text were groundbreaking, providing a visual counterpart to Wilde's exploration of themes such as desire, sensuality and decay.  The illustrations, characterised by bold outlines and intricate patterns, not only complemented the narrative but also challenged societal norms, resonating with Wilde’s own rebellious spirit.

Beardsley was also the first editor of 'The Yellow Book', published 1894-1897, a quarterly publication that became a defining feature of the Aesthetic Movement.  It was this, however, that ultimately led to his downfall.  When Oscar Wilde was arrested for gross indecency in 1895, he was said to be carrying a copy of the Yellow Book.  Because of this and the obvious association of the two men after the Salomé illustrations, Beardsley was dismissed from his role.

After that, almost the only publisher who would use his drawings was Leonard Smithers. Smithers was a brilliant but shady character who operated on the fringes of the rare book trade, issuing small, clandestine editions of risqué books with the boast: 'I will publish the things the others are afraid to touch'. Smithers encouraged Beardsley's already growing interest in French, Latin and Greek texts of this kind, and together with Harry S. Nichols, they commissioned drawings to illustrate the Satires of the late Roman poet Juvenal and, most famously, Aristophanes' bawdy satirical play Lysistrata.  The latter contained images that were amazingly obscene for the day.

When Beardsley later converted to Catholicism, he asked Smithers to "destroy all copies of Lysistrata and bad drawings...by all that is holy all obscene drawings". Smithers ignored Beardsley's wishes and continued to sell reproductions, as well as forgeries of Beardsley's work.

The forgeries were published in a book entitled 'Fifty Drawings by Aubrey Beardsley, Selected from the Collection of Mr. H.S. Nicols'. These were only later discovered to be forgeries, distinguishable by their almost pornographic erotic elements rather than Beardsley's subtler use of sexuality.

Beardsley’s life was cut short by tuberculosis at the young age of 25. His illness forced him to confront themes of mortality, which became prominent in his work.

Beardsley's work continued to cause controversy in Britain long after his death. During an exhibition of Beardsley's prints held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1966, a private gallery in London was raided by the police for exhibiting copies of the same prints on display at the museum, and the owner charged under obscenity laws.

Today, Beardsley is remembered not only for his avant-garde style but also for the way he captured the essence of a transformative period in British art and literature. His partnership with Wilde exemplified a shared ethos of defiance and creativity, leaving a lasting impact that continues to inspire artists and writers alike. Beardsley's legacy endures, showcasing the potency of art as a vehicle for rebellion and aesthetic exploration.