Binding for The Yellow Book, volume 2

Aubrey Beardsley, designer

1894

Ink blocking on yellow cloth.

8 x 6¼ inches

A typical Beardsley design which combines mannered figure drawing with elaborate decorations. The absolute contrast of blankness and ornamentation is a continuation of the style of his illustrations – here converting the blank whiteness of the page into a mischievous display of provocative yellowness. Beardley's designs contributed significantly to the magazine's success, establishing its Decadent credentials on the book's exterior and in preparation for what lay within.

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Photograph and text by Simon Cooke

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