Aubrey Beardsley's Isolde, first edition, 1899
This work was published in the British art magazine The Studio in 1893 and is based on Isolde, the heroine of Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde.
Isolde's profile is shown against a vivid orange background as she gently approaches the poisoned cup.
The outfit is decorated with delicate frills and curves, and the hair is delicately tied up and decorated with flowers.
This composition, which combines decorativeness with a sense of tranquil tension, foreshadows the themes of "death and beauty" and "pleasure and destruction" that are also present in his later "Salome" series.
The act of drinking poison symbolizes the overlapping of "love" and "death," and what is depicted is not simply a tragic scene, but the very essence of a moment of beauty that hovers between ecstasy and despair.
This work was included in a memorial collection (1899) produced by John Lane, the publisher of Beardsley's masterpiece Salome, after his early death in 1898.
Work information
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Artist : Aubrey Beardsley
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Title : Studio magazine cover design
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Year of production : 1899 First edition
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Technique : Line block (line drawing printing)
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Size : approx. 28.2 x 21.4cm
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Artist / Title : Aubrey Beardsley / Isolde
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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.
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We only introduce works that you can safely add to your collection.
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