UNDER THE HILL by BEARDSLEY, AUBREY - 1904

London & New York: John Lane, 1904. FIRST EDITION. Attractively presented in a binding designed by the artist himself, and containing three hitherto unpublished illustrations, this posthumously published collection of Aubrey Beardsley's prose and poetry includes a section of his unfinished and highly controversial erotic novel written in the last few years of his life. Although Beardsley (1872-98) was only 25 when he succumbed to tuberculosis, his brief but glittering career left an indelible mark on the world of illustration and graphic design. In his preface, publisher John Lane says that "During his short life, he carried the art of Black and White further than any man since Albert Dürer." The present work contains a few letters, poems, and other short writings by Beardsley, as well as a section of "Under the Hill," an experimental, bizarre, and sexually charged novel that became something of an obsession for the artist, particularly as his health continued to decline. Originally published in "The Savoy," these pieces are published here for the first time alongside numerous examples of Beardsley's artwork (the Portrait Sketch of Fred Brown and A Sketch of Seven Heads on one plate, and L'Abbé Mouret on another, make their debut here). The design for the binding was originally intended for Oscar Wilde's "Salomé" (1894), but never came to fruition. It appears as a binding here for the first time and was only later used for the 1912 edition of Salomé. From cover to cover, this is an excellent representation of Beardsley's artistic output and literary ambitions.. 260 x 193 mm. (10 1/4 x 7 1/2"). xi, [v], 80 pp., 3 leaves (captioned tissue guard and ads). FIRST EDITION. Publisher's ocean blue cloth, upper cover with stylized gilt peacock feathers designed by Aubrey Beardsley, smooth spine with gilt lettering, top edge gilt. With photographic frontispiece portrait and 16 illustrations by Beardsley (two in-text and 14 plates, including one colored mezzotint). Extremities slightly scuffed, lower boards with corners and one edge a little bumped and a few small bubbles under the cloth, but these faults quite minor, and on the whole a fine, very bright copy with contents in excellent condition. Attractively presented in a binding designed by the artist himself, and containing three hitherto unpublished illustrations, this posthumously published collection of Aubrey Beardsley's prose and poetry includes a section of his unfinished and highly controversial erotic novel written in the last few years of his life. Although Beardsley (1872-98) was only 25 when he succumbed to tuberculosis, his brief but glittering career left an indelible mark on the world of illustration and graphic design. In his preface, publisher John Lane says that "During his short life, he carried the art of Black and White further than any man since Albert Dürer." The present work contains a few letters, poems, and other short writings by Beardsley, as well as a section of "Under the Hill," an experimental, bizarre, and sexually charged novel that became something of an obsession for the artist, particularly as his health continued to decline. Originally published in "The Savoy," these pieces are published here for the first time alongside numerous examples of Beardsley's artwork (the Portrait Sketch of Fred Brown and A Sketch of Seven Heads on one plate, and L'Abbé Mouret on another, make their debut here). The design for the binding was originally intended for Oscar Wilde's "Salomé" (1894), but never came to fruition. It appears as a binding here for the first time and was only later used for the 1912 edition of Salomé. From cover to cover, this is an excellent representation of Beardsley's artistic output and literary ambitions.