Beardsley, Aubrey

64 by 44mm., fine ink drawing, signed with artist's signature device upper left, mounted, framed and glazed

J.M. Dent; Frederick H. Evans; Anderson Galleries, 20 March 1919, lot 36; Rosenbach Galleries Catalogue 48, May 1919, item 21; private collection; Sotheby's, 4/5 December 1986, lot 429; ...; Sotheby's 30 October 1997, lot 69; private collection

Zatlin 710

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A BEARDSLEY DRAWING USED FOR WORKS BY SYDNEY SMITH, RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN AND ALSO OSCAR WILDE.

Originally reproduced within Bon-Mots of Sydney Smith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan in 1893 (p. 51), the drawing was also used by Leonard Smithers for a 1903 edition of Oscar Wilde's Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young (p. 12).

As noted by Zatlin, "this drawing is one of the earliest to bear Beardsley's phallic signature device, which he used for roughly a year and a half, until mid-1894. The drawing has autobiographical elements: Pan, a symbol of sexuality, is lashed to the tree 'isolated, unable to play and thereby unable to lure others into the wood', like Beardsley, tied by outside forces - his tuberculosis..."