Virgilius the Sorcerer
c. 1893
Meet Virgilius, a sorcerer who looks like he’s casting a spell straight out of a dark fairy tale. Created by Aubrey Beardsley around 1893, this illustration captures the artist’s obsession with the bizarre and the beautiful. Beardsley, a prodigy who died of tuberculosis at just 25, was a leading figure of the Art Nouveau movement and famously illustrated Oscar Wilde’s Salome. Notice the massive, flowing robe covered in intricate flowers and birds—it’s a perfect example of his high-contrast, black-and-white style that shocked Victorian society. The character’s manic expression and outstretched hand suggest he’s reading from a book of forbidden magic, embodying the decadent vibe of the 1890s.
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