Aubrey Beardsley, "The Interrogation of the Herald" (c. 1900), illustration from "Leusistrate"
This work was created by Aubrey Beardsley as an illustration for the play "Lysistrata" by the ancient Greek comedian Aristophanes.
The scene depicted shows an emissary from Sparta arriving and an elderly man carefully verifying his identity.
The dialogue between the two is humorous and at the same time full of provocative satire.
In the original illustration, the messenger's male genitalia was depicted in an exaggerated form, but this was revised at the editor's request for publication, and this is the revised version.
The original painting, which is an early draft, is currently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK.
The bold contrast between black and white, the composition that makes use of the white space, and the mixture of decorativeness and caricature are the true essence of Beardsley's art.
This painting was included in a memorial collection published by John Lane & Company around 1900 as a posthumous work by Beardsley, who died young in 1898.
This is an original antique print produced at that time.
Information
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Artist : Aubrey Beardsley
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Title of work : Interrogation of the Messenger (Examination of the Herald) / Illustration from "Lysistrata"
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Production year : 1900
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Technique : Line block (line drawing printing)
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Size : Work approx. 28.2 x 21.8 cm
(Frame not included) -
Artist / Title : Aubrey Beardsley / The Herald
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From Plate 84
Related links
To learn more about Beardsley's literary illustrations, see also:
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--All genuine, all original.
This work is an original antique print made over 100 years ago.
All works sold at Rivoli Antiques are genuine works of artistic value that were printed at the time, and are not later reproductions or copies.
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About the condition
This work is an original antique print created over 100 years ago.
All works sold by Rivoli Antiques are genuine pieces of artistic value printed at the time, and are not later reproductions or copies.
Due to their nature, antique prints rarely come with individual certificates of authenticity like contemporary works.
Therefore, where you buy and who is in charge of selecting the works are of utmost importance.
At Rivoli Antiques, we carefully select our items based on the trust we have built through many years of collaboration with museums and experts.
We only introduce works that you can safely add to your collection.
Natural fading and stains may appear over time, but these are also proof of the era the piece has passed through and are elements that convey the texture of the materials and techniques used to create it.
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