In striking black and white, elongated figures mix and mingle in dimension-defying space. As evident in this frontispiece, Beardsley conjured an intricate fantasy to ornament Wilde’s sumptuous text. S2 E1894Īfter creating initial drawings for Salome is 1892, Beardsley was commissioned to illustrate the 1894 English-language edition of the play. × 12 in.) Smithsonian Institution Libraries, PR5820.

įrontispiece and Title Page, Salome, 1894 Illustrated by Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (English, 1872–1898) Lithography on paper H x W: 22 × 30.5 cm (8 11/16 in. She kisses the severed head and is promptly crushed to death by Herod’s soldiers. He rejects her, claiming himself a man of the Lord God and proclaiming “By woman came evil into the world.” Later, Herod asks Salome to dance for him in exchange for any gift, and, as revenge, she requests Jokanaan’s severed head be delivered to her on a silver platter. In the biblical tale, as well as in Wilde’s play, Salome is the daughter of Herod, king of Judea, and becomes infatuated with Saint John the Baptist (named in the play Jokanaan). Salome herself is an unnamed figure plucked out of the New Testament of the Bible, and who, over the centuries, has transcended into a popular subject for art, literature, and opera, as well as film noir as Norma Desmond’s comeback film in Sunset Boulevard.

Wilde’s psychological centralization on the character of Salome and Beardsley’s transgressive illustrations became emblematic of evolving ideas of sexuality of the time.

In 1894, Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley-both considered enfants terribles of Victorian England for their provocative work and lifestyles-produced a printed edition of Wilde’s play Salome. When Salome requests a severed head on a platter, be careful what you wish for.

Oscar wilde play salome