Original artwork description:

The Climax is an 1893 illustration by Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898), a leading artist of the Decadent and Aesthetic movements.

It depicts a scene from Oscar Wilde's play Salome, in which the femme fatale Salome has just kissed the severed head of John the Baptist, which she grasps in her hands.

Elements of eroticism, symbolism, and Orientalism are present in the piece. This illustration is one of sixteen Wilde commissioned Beardsley to create for the publication of the play. The series is considered to be Beardsley's most celebrated work.

Materials used:

Acrylic on masonite

Tags:

#climax #black and white #pop art #figurative #realism #illustration #art deco #museum #art nouveau #looking at art #aesthetic #salome #looking at painting #aubrey beardsley #john the baptist #peope #oscar wilde #decadent