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AN EXHIBITION

OF ORIGINAL DRAWINGS

BY

WITH A FOREWORD

BY JOSEPH PENNELL

MAY FIRST TO MAY SEVENTEENTH 1919 THE ROSENBACH GALLERIES 1320 WALNUT STREET PHILADELPHIA

FOREWORD

BY JOSEPH PENNELL

HE following is an extract from my article on Aubrey Beardsley in The Studio, No. 1, April, 1893: T "I have lately seen a few drawings which seem to me to be very remarkable. The very limited number which the artist is said to have produced makes their perfection of execution all the more remarkable. I am quite well aware that the mere fact of publicly admitting one's interest in the work of a new man, whose first design may be a delight to artists, is not considered to be good form in criticism. But why should one care about good or bad form—or criticism, either, for that matter? For the criticism of art to-day is merely the individual expression of persons who mostly know nothing about their subject. "But whether Mr. Beardsley's work is appreciated or despised —and my only fear is that he will suffer from over-appreciation and enthusiasm—the drawings show decisively the presence among us of an artist, of an artist whose work is quite as remarkable in its execution as in its invention; a very rare combination. It is most interesting to note, too, that though Mr. Beardsley has drawn his motives from every age, and founded his styles—though it is impossible to say what his style may be—on all schools, he has not been carried back into the fifteenth century or succumbed to the limitations of Japan; he has recognized that he is living in the last decade of the nineteenth century, and he has availed himself of mechanical reproduction for the publication of his drawings, which the Japs would have accepted with delight had they but known of it. "Although in all of Mr. Beardsley's drawings which I have so far seen there are signs of other men's influence, I know no reason why this influence should not be apparent if the inventor of what we may consider the type is a worthy one to imitate. How­ ever, to say that Burne Jones, or even his far greater master Ros- setti, invented what is vulgarly known as the Rossetti type, is absurd. They did not invent it; they have only recorded a type which is very common in this country, emphasizing certain characteristics which no one had ever so emphasized before. Mr. Beardsley, in illustrating the 'Morte d'Arthur,' wished an appropriate type; he has taken the one which appealed to him most and he was perfectly justified in doing so. The little headpieces, notably one of men in armour, seem to me, in execution as well as design, quite equal to the best fifteenth century work. Then, too, his little landscapes are altogether delightful; though they are conventional in the right 3 sense, they are not imitations. But most interesting of all is his use of the single line, with which he weaves his drawings into an harmonious whole, joining extremes and reconciling what might be oppositions—leading, but not forcing, you properly to regard the concentration of his motive. In his blacks, too, he has obtained a singularly interesting quality, and always disposes them so as to make a very perfect arabesque. Certainly with the comparatively small amount of work which Mr. Beardsley has produced, he has managed to appeal to artists—and what more could he wish?" JOSEPH PENNELL.

POSTSCRIPT April, 1919 I wrote The Studio article on the faith of the drawings and prints that I was shown—because I knew they were the work of a man—a boy—who had done something to carry on tradition—but I did not know if he would do anything more. And I did know that often such an article is a refuge, a safe harbor for one who can only repeat what he has done, and never tries after to go on. So I hedged. But Beardsley was not of that sort—he went on. He and Henry Harland started The Yellozv Book. I did not believe it would succeed, but it did, and in it Beardsley came into his own. Then, or maybe it was before, he illustrated — and then came the Rape of the Lock—which proved him—as Whistler said—and the world acknowledged—"a great artist" and won him fame. Then came the Volpone, and before it was finished came death, but he has builded himself an enduring monument. And two boys whom the gods loved died young—John Keats and Aubrey Beardsley. They died, and from the same cause, but their names and their works live—they are amongst the glorified in and letters. Beardsley built better than I knew, but he knew better than I, and it is good to know now that one had a part in those wonderful days in that wonderful world—which is gone but never will be forgotten. JOSEPH PENNELL. ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY From the Collection of Frederick H. Evans, of London

FROM "LE MORTE D'ARTHUR" 1. A FLYING ANGEL Height, $y2 inches; width, 3 inches. 2. MALEVOLENCE Height, 4 inches; width, 22/4 inches. 3. A SEATED PAN l Height, 4y2 inches; width, 3 /2 inches. 4. KNIGHT CARRYING HIS HELMET Height, 6y2 inches; width, 3Y2 inches. 5. MEMORIES J l Height, 5 /i inches; width, 3 /2 inches. 6. DREAMING FIGURE IN THE WOOD i Height, 6i/& inches; width, 3 y2 inches. 7. "PIPING DOWN THE VALLEY WILD" "Piping down the valley wild In a cloud I saw a child." —BLAKE. Height, 6y& inches; width, Jj4 inches. 8. THREE SWANS One of the most daring and fascinating bits of his decora­ tive genius. T Height, 5 y inches; zvidth, 2y2 inches. 9. WOMAN AND TREE Height, 5 inches; width, 4I4 inches. 10. TWO FIGURES Height, 4y2 inches; zvidth, 3 inches. 11. NURSE AND CHILD Height, 4 inches; width, 3 incites. 12. A BACCHUS Height, 4 inches; width, 3 indies. 13. MERLIN—TAILPIECE OF CONTENTS Circidar. Diameter, 6 inches. Has never been reproduced in full size. It should be noted how this fine design was ruined in "Le Morte" by the smallness of its reproduction. 5 14. FULL-PAGE BORDER, WITH PORTRAIT by F. H. EVANS Height, II inches; zvidth, 8}% inches. Has never been reproduced in full size. 15. FULL-PAGE BORDER, WITH PORTRAIT by F. H. Evans Height, II inches; width, 8y2 inches. Has never been reproduced in full size. "They are not only extraordinary likenesses, but you have managed to impart into his portrait something of Beardsley's fantastic linear design, or is that my imagination?" —ROBERT Ross. 16. FULL-PAGE BORDER Height, 8y2 inches; width, 6Y\ inches. 17. ARTHUR AND THE STRANGE MANTLE Height, ny2 inches; width, p inches. Has never been reproduced in full size.

MISCELLANEOUS DRAWINGS 18. REJANE Red Pastel and Black Ink. Height, jy2 inches; width, 6 inches. Coloured work by Beardsley is rare, as he did extremely little in this way. Reproduced in "The Later Work of Aubrey Beardsley," page 60. 19. PERSEUS. WITH PENCILED FIGURES ON THE BACK Height, 18 inches; width, 6y2 inches. This is one of the largest drawings he made, a finely decorative figure. Reproduced in "The Early Work of Aubrey Beardsley," pages 8 and 9.

FROM "BONS MOTS" 20. THE BIRTH OF FANCY Height, 4 inches; width, 3j4 inches. Reproduced in "Bons Mots, Sydney Smith and Sheridan," page 150. 21. PAN ASLEEP i Height, 3}i inches; ividth, 2 y2 inches. Exceedingly grim and fine. Reproduced in "Bons Mots, Sydney Smith and Sheridan," page 51. 22. THE ADMONITION x Height, 3Y% inches; width, 2 y2 inches. Reproduced in "Bons Mots, Foote and Hook," page 74. 6 23. AN ANGEL Height, 2fyg inches; width, ij/s inches. The face of this angel is the face of an angel as lovely as he ever saw; for surely, with Blake, all his subjects must have been really objective on paper to him, their vividness, the in- evitableness of their appeal to us, compel us to believe so. Reproduced in "Bons Mots, Lamb and Jerrold," page 117. 24. SHELTER j Height, 3 y2 inches; width, 2% inches. Reproduced in "Bons Mots, Sydney Smith and Sheridan," page 73. 25. TOPSY-TURVY Height, 3 inches; width, 3% inches. A very dreadful nightmare of a vision, but tolerated for its fine fore-shortening and clever technique. Reproduced in "Bons Mots, Lamb and Jerrold," page 15.

POSTERS BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY 26. THE ORIGINAL FOR "CHILDREN'S BOOKS." Designed for Mr. T. Fisher Unwin, the London publisher. Printed on pink paper; 31^4 x 12^2 inches. Special proof; only three copies made. 26a. ANOTHER COPY OF THE SAME. Smaller in size, printed on yellow paper; 24 x 9}4 inches.

THE MOST FAMOUS BEARDSLEY MANUSCRIPT 27. THE ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT OF "UNDER THE HILL." Written in ink on the rectos of 68 leaves. 4to vellum binding, tooled in gold after designs by Beardsley, g. e. The printed version of this romantic novel has been ex­ purgated and differs materially from the MS. The only important prose work of Beardsley's and among the celebrated literary productions of the XIX Century. Laid in is a proof on vellum of the frontispiece, "Venus between terminal Gods." ONE OF 12 PROOF IMPRESSIONS ON PURE VELLUM, UNPUBLISHED. AUTOGRAPH LETTERS OF AUBREY BEARDSLEY 28. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED WITH INITIALS. 2 pp., 4to. Bruxelles, May 4, 1896, to , with envelope. A very interesting letter relating to his work; mentions "The Rape of the Lock," "Under the Hill," etc. 7 29. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED WITH INITIALS. 4 pp., i2mo, with envelope. Pine View, Bournemouth, Sept. 15, 1896, to Leonard Smithers. Remarkably frank letter regarding his work and particu­ larly the frontispiece for a book by O' Sullivan. "I send by this the O'Sullivan frontispiece, which I hope will please both you and the immortal author. The immortal artist is quite delighted with it. ... I have been and gone and spoilt the O'S frontispiece (the second). I could cry with vexation." 30. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED WITH INITIALS. 3^ pp., sm. 8vo. Paris, n. d., with envelope dated October 6, 1897, to Leonard Smithers, regarding the printing of Mademoiselle de Maupin and mentioning his illustrations. 31. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED WITH INITIALS. 3 pp., i2mo, with envelope, Pier View, Bournemouth, Octo­ ber 4, 1896, to Leonard Smithers, relating to his work for the last number of the "Savoy;" a drawing, "The Return of Tannhaiiser to the Venusberg;" the frontispiece to "Morte d'Arthur," etc.

AN UNIQUE COLLECTION OF PROOFS OF AUBREY BEARDSLEY'S ILLUSTRATIONS 32. A COLLECTION of upwards of 200 proofs of Aubrey Beardsley's most famous illustrations, including specimens of the designs for "Le Morte d'Arthur," "Salome," "Bons Mots," "Volpone," the covers for "The Savoy," "The Studio" and ";" designs for for Fisher Unwin, The Avenue Theatre, and book-covers for John Lane's Keynotes Series, Leonard Smithers' rare book catalogues, etc., etc. Each design tipped on a sheet of stiff paper, the whole contained in two wooden boxes.

BOOKS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY 33. THE BIRTH, LIFE AND ACTS OF KING ARTHUR, OF HIS NOBLE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. The Text as written by Sir and imprinted by William Caxton. EMBELLISHED WITH MANY ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY. 2 vols., original zvhite cloth gilt, uncut. London: J. M. Dent & Co., 1893. 34. ANOTHER COPY. In the original parts, uncut, as issued. 8 35. MEDIAEVAL LEGENDS, No. II. The Wonderful History of Virgilius the Sorcerer of Rome. Englished for the first time. FRONTISPIECE BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY. 8Vo, half red morocco, uncut, covers in place. London, David Nutt, 1893. 36. BON-MOTS of Charles Lamb and Douglas Jerrold [Sydney Smith and R. Brinsley Sheridan, Samuel Foote and Theo­ dore Hook]. Edited by Walter Jerrold. WITH GROTESQUES BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY. 3 vols., i2mo, original white cloth. London, J. M. Dent & Co., 1893-94.

INSCRIBED BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY 37. WILDE, OSCAR. Salome, a Tragedy in one Act. Trans­ lated from the French of . PICTURED BY AU­ BREY BEARDSLEY. 8VO, original cloth, uncut. London, Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1894. The First Edition, with Aubrey Beardsley's illustrations. UNIQUE COPY. Inscribed by Aubrey Beardsley. With a proof impression of the excessively rare suppressed plate, "The Toilette of Salome." 38. AUBREY BEARDSLEY'S DRAWINGS to illustrate the Tales of . WITH A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST. 4to, unbound. The Colonial Company, New York. Four plates and a portrait— 1. The Murders in the Rue Morgue. 2. The Black Cab. 3. The Masque of the Red Death. 4. The Fall of the House of Usher. 39. AN EVIL MOTHERHOOD. An Impressionist Novel. By Walt Ruding. FRONTISPIECE BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY. unto, original blue cloth. London, 1896.

PRESENTATION COPY 40. VERSES. By . Small 4to, original vellum paper, uncut. London, Leonard Smithers, 1896. Presentation copy from the author with autograph inscrip­ tion : "To Eileen Hommage of the author Ernest Dowson, Aug. 3rd, 1899." THE COVER DESIGN IS BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY. 41. THE RAPE OF THE LOCK. By . EM­ BROIDERED WITH NINE DRAWINGS BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY. 4to original cloth, uncut. London, Leonard Smithers, 1896. The First Edition. 9 42. A BOOK OF FIFTY DRAWINGS with an Inconography by Aymer Vallance. A Second Book of Fifty Drawings. 2 vols., 4to, original red cloth. London, Leonard Smithers, 1897 and 1899. The First Edition of each volume. 43. THE HOUSES OF SIN. By Vincent O'Sullivan. 8vo, origi­ nal vellum paper, uncut. London, Leonard Smithers, 1897. Inserted is a 2-page 12mo A. L. S. of the author to the publisher relating to his essay on Poe. THE COVER DESIGN IS BY AUBREY BEARDSLEY. 44. BEN JONSON. His Volpone; or, The Foxe. A New Edi­ tion with a critical Essay on the Author by Vincent O'Sulli­ van and a FRONTISPIECE, FIVE INITIAL LETTERS AND A COVER DESIGN ILLUSTRATIVE AND DECORATIVE BY AUBREY BEARDS­ LEY. 4to, original cloth. London, Leonard Smithers & Co., 1898. The First Edition. 45. 'S TRUE HISTORY. Translated by Francis Hickes. ILLUSTRATED BY , J. B. CLARK AND AUBREY BEARDSLEY. With an introduction by Charles Whibley. Small 4to, original boards, uncut. London, A. H. Bullen, 1902. The illustrations by AUBREY BEARDSLEY are: "A Snare of Vintage," "Dreams." 46. THE EARLY WORK OF AUBREY BEARDSLEY. With a Prefatory Note by H. C. Marillier. PORTRAIT OF AUBREY BEARDSLEY AND NUMEROUS REPRODUCTIONS OF HIS WORK. 4to, original white cloth, uncut. London, John Lane, 1899. 47. AUBREY BEARDSLEY. By . PORTRAIT OF AUBREY BEARDSLEY AND THIRTY REPRODUCTIONS OF HIS WORK. 4to, original boards, uncut. London, J. M. Dent, 1905.

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