The short and salacious story of Aubrey Beardsley

In just a six-year career, the art nouveau illustrator’s line drawings shocked and titillated Victorian society, but left a lasting impact on the art world far beyond his short life, writes Olivia Campbell

‘The Peacock Skirt’ for Oscar Wilde’s ‘Salome’, a commission – and connection – that won him widespread notoriety

I have one aim – the grotesque. If I am not grotesque, I am nothing.” Such spirited words, spoken in 1896 by notorious illustrator Aubrey Beardsley, sum up one of the most infamous figures to unleash havoc upon the prim and proper cultural elite at the end of the 19th century.

Before tuberculosis claimed his life at the mere age of 25, Beardsley managed to carve out an illustrious career that would influence the world of arts and culture far beyond his short life. His monochromatic line drawings were groundbreaking for the era, and the themes of eroticism and immorality both scandalised and titillated Victorian society. Armed with a bizarre sense of humour and a taste for the grotesque, Beardsley came onto the scene like a slow-building storm and ended up leaving chaos in his wake.

Now, nearly a century after the last comprehensive exhibit of his work, Tate Britain is showcasing his unbridled talent once again.