The Art Editor of The Yellow Book

Aubrey Beardsley

The Art Editor of The Yellow Book

Pencil, charcoal, and crayon on paper,

[1894].

Beardsley found his own appearance fascinating, although he considered it wanting in beauty. He represented himself on multiple occasions in a variety of styles, each one reflecting a specific aspect of his character. Usually, his preferred medium was pen and ink, but on one occasion in 1894, he used charcoal and crayon—appropriately enough, as this portrait was to be reproduced in the journal The Sketch. The sketch-like quality of the drawing softened his features and dress, giving him, as numerous critics have observed, a distinctly feminine look. This may have been not merely a self-revelatory, but a strategic move, considering that the image was published with the title The Art Editor of the Yellow Book. He created a version of himself that seemed gentle and unthreatening—just the sort of person to whom talented, but timid, young artists would have no hesitation sending their work for possible publication.

From the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection, University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press