Positively medieval …
Aubrey Beardsley’s 1893 illustrations for the 15th-century romance Le Morte D’Arthur, by Sir Thomas Malory, marked his first big break. The publisher was after something like William Morris’s take on medieval art.
Lay me down …
How King Arthur Saw the Questing Beast, and Thereof Had Great Marvel, one of the book’s most celebrated creations, shows the 19-year-old’s vision. Arthur is no strapping hetero hero but a languid loafer, wrapped in a silky clingy tunic. It’s thought to be a self-portrait.
Panned …
He shoots a sulky look, not at the beast but at Pan, one of several classical figures cavorting incongruously in the illustrations.
They were all yellow …
Pan’s cat’s eyes and pixie nose are possibly based on those of Henry Harland, founding editor of the racy literary journal The Yellow Book. Beardsley’s ornately decadent images for the periodical made him an art world sensation.
Snake charmer …
The picture isn’t short on sexual innuendo, either, including the snakes slithering in the dark pool.
