The Baron's Prayer from "The Rape of the Lock"

The Baron's Prayer is from the poem, The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope. I researched the poem to see what the poem dictates is the Baron's role. The poem is a dark comedy, but not in a humorous state, more like Dante's Inferno – The Divine Comedy an epic poem. The poem is hard to decipher; finding a site that explains the dark poem in current day English made it easier for me to understand the position Beardsley draws the Baron.

The Baron's Prayer

The Baron is dressed in a full figured gown and night cap, he kneels on one knee before what seems to be an altar made from highly decorated books. On top of the books are ribbon and garments. It is difficult to clearly see the objects due to the black and white of the illustration. However, due to Beardsley high detailed work you can see the shaped on the spine of the books that these could possibly be expensive. It is also clear that the figure or the Baron is of high class due to the large landscape artwork in the background and objects on the right placed on a table that looks of french antiquity.The Baron's hands seem to be at a praying position; this makes the viewer think it is a religious ceremony at first glance, but due to the altar. As the Baron is praying in front of the altar it look as though the objects are burning as you can see the flame shape above the stack.

The Baron looks as though he may be praying, but what the altar is built from it's almost close to a ritual; with the Baron making a request. It states that the altar consists of twelve French romances gilt (gilt is defined as, covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint) of rococo decorations, topped by the relics of impotent baron's voracious fetishism.* When reading the poem it seemed as though the baron was asking for the lock of a curl from, Belinda whose is the female character in the poem. Belinda is a virgin, the Rape of the Lock representing the removal of her chastity.

*Fletcher, Ian. Aubrey Beardsley. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

Savoy

The Savoy

The Savoy illustrations were created in two ways. The first being of pencil, a rough draft perhaps and the second out of india ink. The image shows both an empty, flat sky due to the absences of clouds and value in shade or color. Beardsley shows us in the Savoy image that you can still achieve dimension with the use of only two things, black ink and white negative space of the paper. The use of line he uses within each section of the image creates an almost three dimensional look as he lets only the slightest white of the paper show through the black streaks of ink.

The Savoy was created in France for the editor Arthur Symons; this magazine or letterpress was created shortly after Beardsley's creation of the Yellow Book. In the image of Savoy two figures are set in a garden; a woman who by looking at the face would depict a s

kinny figure due to the large mass of hair, but as you continue to look at the figure you see that she is a full figured woman or the viewer is given the impression due to the large dressing gown. The second image that meets the bottom hem of the woman's gown is a small figure that you would mistake as a cherub. However, the small figure is not a cherub, but a putto.* It is said that the woman in the illustration is past her adolescents and that this outfit she is wearing is concealing the need of desire, its real presence, and its inaccessibility, an emblem of the severe English nineteenth-century taboos on sex.*

As the viewer I can not see how this illustration can be construed as erotic. Looking at the details the full covered woman and the gloved hand with the whip; the putto, naked with a feathered instrument that can be possibly used for pleasure. Although the area surrounding these two figures is a lush garden it recalls when plays were performed in the park. Savoy may in fact be something of a sexual fantasy illustration; its background setting giving the idea that it is not but can also be looked over as a great illustration with naive attitudes.

*Fletcher, Ian. Aubrey Beardsley. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

The Kiss; Salome with the Head of John the Baptist

The Kiss

Oscar Wilde commissioned Beardsley to create an illustration for the play, Salome. This drawing was considered one of the most popular and talked about among many. Beardsley's use of line and space is shown in this image to reflect his style. In Salome Beardsley takes advantage of space within the picture plane by taking away from the ground. In these drawings he effectively combines earlier styles and borrowings, moving beyond imitation of Japanese conventions, and strikes a really original vein in his genius by abandoning in many cases a ground or horizon.* Beardsley's black and white style makes the image seem flat due to the removal of the shadow. However, it seems the image of Salome and John the Baptists head have  two dimension view due to the heavy blackened spaces and the line drawn faces. The lines above the figures heads give off a three dimensional look the way the pattern and crossing of lines moves; it's almost like an image of a map.

Although Salome is one of many popular illustrations that Beardsley created it was known to be the most controversial between Wilde, critics and friends of Wilde's. One statement was made by Wilde, stating that Aubrey's illustration of Salome are too Japanese which did not represent the play. Wilde stated that his play was of the Byzantine era.* In agreeing with Wilde's comment it could be true; based on work it seemed that they are comparable to an Edo Print, such as, Suzki Harunodu's, The Flowers of Beauty in the Floating World. There is no figure to ground relationship to Beardsley's drawing and it showed the lack of attention to the play that Wilde wrote and expected to an illustration that represented the era of his play and the playwright itself.

*Fletcher, Ian. Aubrey Beardsley. Twayne Publishers, 1987. (pg. 57)

The Pay of the Pied Piper

The Pay of the Pied Piper performed with Charles B. Cochran, which was written by A. W. King Aubrey's headmaster was the last thing done at the Brighton Grammar School. Aubrey return home to London to live with his family. It was here he found work as a clerk at the District of Clerkenwell a surveyor office. However, this was a temporary place of employment to which Aubrey was awaiting a position as a clerk for the newly built Guardian Life and Fire Insurance Company in Lombard Street.* With the job at Guardian and leaving the grammar school, living at home made it easier for Aubrey and Mabel to visit the theater often. Although the plays that were seen by Aubrey and Mabel it was the distaste of the actors in certain roles that may have lead them to create their own performances. Two theatrical performances were done, in 1888 and 1889. The audiences were created by family, and close friends; it is uncertain if anyone outside the family attended. Aubrey created the programs with his own lettering and sketches. Aubrey listing himself within the program as "M. Aubre`," a "Perruquier," and his sister Mabel as "Madame Mabele," a "Costumier."*

*Benkovitz, Miriam J. Aubrey Beardsley: An Account of His Life. Toronto: Academic Press Canada Limisted, 1981.

Brighton Grammar School

While attending Brighton Grammar School, Aubrey completes a total of thirty illustrations for a book, Aenid and published a ballad on the victory of a naval vessel, the Valiant, over a pirate ship, while a local paper Brighton Society, admitted two sets of light verses, "A Ride on an Omnibu" (9 July 1887) and "A Very Free (Library) Reading with Apologies to W. S. Gilbert" (14 April 1888).* This begins Beardsley's illustrations that follow literary content, such as, plays, poems and short stories. This also marked the change of Brighton Grammar School's ascension to a school of drama and with Beardsley having a close relationship with King it only influenced Beardsley work more.

*Benkovitz, Miriam J. Aubrey Beardsley: An Account of His Life. Toronto: Academic Press Canada Limited, 1981.

Aubrey Beardsley's the Beginning

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley is born on August 21, 1872 at Brighton, Sussex, England. Parents Ellen Pitt; the daughter of Surgeon-Major William Pitt and Vincent Paul Beardsley, a Londoner who was not trained in any profession; however, inherited tuberculosis in which Aubrey suffers with throughout his life. Vincent and Ellen had two children: Mabel and of course Aubrey. Ellen Beardsley was forced to supplement the families income by acting as governess and giving piano lessons; Vincent after both children were born was forced to take a job, first as a telegraph company and later for two breweries. Due to Ellen teaching piano Aubrey's first talent was piano and with his sister accompanying him they were thought of sibling prodigies.

Aubrey at age seven suffered from his first signs of tuberculosis; shortly afterwards was sent to a boarding school within the country. Two years after spent in Epsom, Aubrey and Mabel were sent to live with an Aunt at Brighton; it was said that the sea air could possibly be good for Aubrey's lungs.* Aubrey and Mabel while in Brighton, attended the Catholic school of Annunciation of our Lady. It was here that Aubrey, Mabel and Mrs. Beardsley were welcomed to the Latin Catholic church. The same year Aubrey became a boarded at the Brighton Grammar School. It is the grammar school Aubrey begin is introduced to A. W. King, a teach whom taught science and was also Aubrey's housemaster. It is King believes in Aubrey's talents that he opens his library to him.

*Benkovitz, Miriam J. Aubrey Beardsley: An Account of His Life. Toronto: Academic Press Canada Limited, 1981.