Madame Réjane
1894
French stage star Madame Réjane sits in profile, looking rather contemplative as she is practically swallowed by a gigantic, patterned gown featuring rows of dots that resemble peacock feathers. Aubrey Beardsley, the master of black-and-white illustration, captured her in 1894 with his signature Art Nouveau flair, complete with a heavy decorative border of sharp, stylized leaves at the bottom. Behind her, a delicate table holds a vase of flowers, adding to the domestic yet highly stylized scene. This piece comes from the peak of his short but explosive career, just a few years before his tragic death from tuberculosis at age 25.
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