Black Coffee 1895

Editor: This is "Black Coffee" by Aubrey Beardsley, a drawing residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The angular lines and stark contrast give it such a distinctive, almost unsettling feel. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Notice how Beardsley employs caricature, exaggerating features to convey something beyond the surface. The woman on the left, do you see a hint of horns in her elaborate hairstyle? Editor: Yes, I do! Almost devilish. Curator: Precisely! Coffee, then, could be a symbol of decadent pleasure, an indulgence with potentially dark consequences. The image lingers in our minds, stirring complex associations, don't you think? Editor: It certainly does. Seeing those symbolic touches really changes how I view the artwork.