Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)

Vignette for 'Bon Mots' of Sydney Smith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Details

Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)
Vignette for 'Bon Mots' of Sydney Smith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan
signed, inscribed and dated 'Aubrey Beardsley/Illustration for Bon Mots/1894' (on the reverse)
pen and black ink on card
2½ x 4½ in. (6.5 x 12 cm.)

Provenance

M.H. Schwab, Maidenhead.

Literature

W. Jerrold (Ed.), 'Bon Mots' of Sydney Smith and R. Brinsley Sheridan, London, 1893, p.17 (illustrated).
W. Jerrold (Ed.), 'Bon Mots' of Charles Lamb and Douglas Jerrold, London, 1893, p.120 (illustrated).
B. Reade, Beardsley, London, 1967, p.325, pl.169.

Exhibited

Los Angeles, County Museum (on loan).

Lot Essay

Beardsley was commissioned by the publisher John Dent to illustrate with vignettes a series of minature Bon Mots. This commission ran concurrently with that of illustrating Dent's edition of Malory's Le Morte Darthur, his first professional undertaking. The vignettes were all expressed in a grotesque vein. (see B. Reade, op. cit., p.16).

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