Aubrey Beardsley’s celebrated illustrations for Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, created between 1893 and 1894, launched the career of the young artist and helped define the decadent visual style of the 1890s.
 
Moving away from the romantic medievalism of the Pre-Raphaelites, Beardsley combined the influence of Japanese woodblock printing with the decorative traditions of the Arts and Crafts movement. His bold black-and-white compositions, elaborate borders, chapter headings and ornamental initials brought a distinctive wit and occasional grotesqueness to Malory’s Arthurian world.
 
A landmark of Art Nouveau book illustration and an essential work for admirers of Arthurian legend, medieval romance and fin-de-siècle design.
 
Hardback with sleeve
Condition: Very Good