COVE

In 1907, Oscar Wilde’s (1854-1900) play “Salomé” was written – “translated from the French of Oscar Wilde with sixteen illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)”.  This image, titled “Woman in the Moon” is the very first full-page image created with line block print on Japanese vellum that is found in Oscar Wilde’s play. Aubrey Beardsley is also known to have illustrated the first four volumes of the Yellow Book (1894-1897). This black and white block print image depicts a naked man and a woman in a gown that hits the ground look towards the moon to the left of the image with the man and the woman standing to the right of the image. The moon is a caricature style depiction of Oscar Wilde holding what looks like a flower, suggesting a rose. Wilde’s depiction is partially covered by what look like white blocked clouds. The main subject of the image is the moon because of the significance if it being a representation of the author. Beardsley’s style in this image is extremely modern for the time, classified under the Art Nouveau style. This image specifically is the first one in the book, therefore is the readers first impression after the cover. With that being said, having the man and woman grow curious of the moon, can actually be representative of the readers that are about to read the play and experience Wilde’s work, accompanied by Beardsley’s illustrations.  Later in the play, when looking at the book as a whole, you will come to find out that this very illustration goes much deeper than an initial impression ever had taken the viewer.

Sources: 

Bristow, Joseph. “Oscar Wilde (1854-1900),” Y90s Biographies , edited by Dennis Denisoff, 2010. Yellow Nineties 2.0, General Editor Lorraine Janzen Kooistra, Ryerson University Centre for Digital Humanities, 2019, https://1890s.ca/wilde_bio/.

"Aubrey Breadsely." Oxford Reference Online, Philip's, 2004. https://www-oxfordreference-com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/view/10.1093/acre.... Accessed 27 October 2020. 

“Illustrating Wilde: An examination of Aubrey Beardsley's interpretation of Salome.”The Victorian Web, Yelena Primorac.                                                          http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/beardsley/primorac.html. Accessed 25 October 2020.