Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898) was a fashionable young London illustrator, whose first commissions had been from the publisher J M Dent for a version of the medieval poet Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. The book was a favourite among the artists and poets of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, and Dent wanted something to capitalise on the successful style pioneered by William Morris’s Kelmscott Press....

When Salomé was first published in February 1893, the Pall Mall Budget magazine asked Beardsley for a drawing in response. They rejected the macabre, fantastic image he based around the play’s last scene, in which Salomé embraces the severed head of John the Baptist. J’ai Baisé Ta Bouche, Iokanaan. In April, however an art publication, The Studio, ran it as part of its first edition. Wilde saw the drawing pre-publication and liked it. The critic Peter Raby argues that ‘Beardsley gave the text its first true public and modern performance, placing it firmly within the 1890s – a disturbing framework for the dark elements of cruelty and eroticism, and of the deliberate ambiguity and blurring of gender, which he released from Wilde’s play as though he were opening Pandora’s box.’

 This poster must have originally been produced a collection as it has a number on the reverse. The title on the reverse is not correct. I don't know if this is a mis-print or how the posters ran- so the title was on the previous posters back page -if viewed in a file or book format? I've had a look on the internet and I can't find any examples of poster collections containing these illustrations. The prints look to be a lithograph. The print is very rich and deep - definitely not reproduced recently on your average printer. Age wise I would guess at 1960s 1970s? The paper is not like todays optic white so I think they are retro prints.

The wording on the back is incorrect as mentioned above and is in German.

The poster measures approx:

width: 13.5"   34.5cm

height: 19.25"  49cm

Great condition and from a smoke free home. Would look amazing framed. I've decided I can't keep them all so I will be listing others soon- take a look at my other items.

Postage can be combined just let me know.