Beardsley completed this illustration for the leading character from Oscar Wilde’s play. We are pleased to offer this statue adaptation from this famous drawing.
The stylish dress is reminiscent of a butterfly with exaggerated sleeves and flowing skirt. From the Oxford Dictionary, A Beardsley scholar, Milly Heyd discusses the use of butterfly in other Beardsley works and the use of a butterfly as Whistler's signature. According to Heyd, the butterfly symbolizes independence and also has been defined by the Oxford dictionary as a term used to describe "a vain gaudily attired person" (122). Beardsley perhaps creates a complex image of Salome in which she attempts to dress to reflect her independence yet her attempt is in vain, as she ends up appearing ridiculously at the mercy of her unmerciful dress.
AUBREY VINCENT BEARDSLEY (1872-1898)
Follower of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and recognized for his talents at black and white ink drawings. Diagnosed at a young age with tuberculosis, he left behind a stylish interpretation of the Pre-Raphaelite's medieval and early Renaissance styles. He was directly influenced by another talented Pre-Raphaelite artist, Sir Edward Burne-Jones.
