The Black Cat, for Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tales of Mystery and the Imagination,” Chicago, 1895-96 1894

Aubrey Beardsley created this illustration in Chicago in 1895 using ink on paper. Its bold lines and stark contrasts between black and white make it immediately striking. Beardsley was a master of the technique of line drawing. His work is characterized by its precision and detail. Look closely, and you’ll see how he used hatching and cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and texture, particularly in the cat's fur and the woman's hair. The choice of black ink emphasizes the macabre subject matter, drawn from Edgar Allan Poe's tales. It also connects to printmaking, a technology that was quickly developing at the time. Beardsley pushed the boundaries of fine art and commercial illustration. His images were made for mass consumption. But that doesn't diminish their creative power, or the skill involved in their production. By looking at how “The Black Cat” was made, we can see how the world of art is often tied to labor, industry, and popular culture.