Aubrey Beardsley’s illustration for Oscar Wilde’s Salome captures the play’s haunting themes through its stark black-and-white composition and intricate design. The prone figure of the Young Syrian, partially shrouded in darkness, is cradled by the nude Page, whose pale form is illuminated, drawing attention to their intimate connection. Beneath the Syrian’s legs crouches a sinister, jester-like figure, adding an unsettling undertone. The background features stylized, intertwining vines and flowers, supported by rigid canes, their organic detail contrasting with the flat, geometric shapes of a tree and the distant, anthropomorphic moon. Beardsley’s use of sharp, clean lines and dramatic lighting heightens the sense of tension, while the floating cut flower above the Syrian’s face evokes fragility and transience. This visual composition, both sensual and eerie, mirrors the play’s interplay of beauty, death, and desire, creating a deeply evocative image.
Works Cited
Beardsley, Aubrey. The Platonic Lament. 2002. https://victorianweb.org/art/illustration/beardsley/5.html. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Museum, Victoria and Albert. “A Platonic Lament: Lane, John: Beardsley, Aubrey Vincent: V&A Explore the Collections.” Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections, collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1042282/a-platonic-lament-print-beardsley-aubrey-vincent/. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.