Aubrey Beardsley was the most controversial artist of the Art Nouveau era.

The subversive nature of Beardsley’s illustrations often made them hard to publish and many stayed within the confines of his sketchbook. But in 1893, a drawing based on the original French publication of Salomé, which had been rejected by a British magazine, found its way into the hands of Oscar Wilde. He was so enamoured with it, that he commissioned ten illustrations and a cover for the English edition. The two of them remained friends until Beardsley’s untimely death in 1898 at just 26.

Nationality: British
Born: Brighton, England, 1872
Died: Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, French Third Republic, 1898
Studied: Westminster School of Art