Classic Artist of the Week #6 - Aubrey Beardsley

What can someone living only a quarter of a century achieve? The most hardly graduate and start their careers serving burgers. Others, like Aubrey Beardsley, start a new movement in art, befriend the most influential writers of his times and become one of the most renown artist of late XIX century.

Beardsley was born in 1872 in England. After leaving school, he worked in an architect's office until he decided that a career in art is something worth pursuing - and he began working on it furiously. In the six remaining years of his life the son of an English noble went through various stages, different stylistically from each other and illustrated a lot of books.

Influenced by Matisse and Japanese prints, Beardsley's drawings were often innovative, expressive, erotic, grotesque and most of the time, shocking to the audience. Using only ink and only one colour he contrasted black and white, details and plainness, bright and dark. His works can be felt and understood at the same time.

Aubrey Beardsley died of tuberculosis at 25 years old.