Poster for The Yellow Book, Volume IV
January 1895
Medium
Lithograph and relief process
Dimensions
Image: 14 13/16 × 10 7/8 in. (37.6 × 27.7 cm) Sheet: 15 1/2 × 11 3/4 in. (39.4 × 29.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Martin Birnbaum, 1957
Accession Number
57.562.2
Art Historical Context
This striking poster, created by Aubrey Beardsley in January 1895, served as an advertisement for Volume IV of *The Yellow Book*, the influential quarterly that captured the spirit of the British fin de siècle. As the magazine’s art editor, Beardsley shaped its visual identity with his distinctive black-and-white drawings, which blended intricate line work, bold contrasts, and a touch of irreverent wit. The lithograph and relief printing process allowed these sharp designs to be reproduced widely, turning the poster into both an announcement and a work of art in its own right. Beardsley’s sty...