Dreams, for "Lucian's True History" 1892 - 1893

Curator: Aubrey Beardsley gifts us a glimpse into the hallucinatory with "Dreams, for 'Lucian's True History'". It's an inky plunge into a fever dream, isn't it? Editor: The linework is so striking. The stark blacks and whites feel incredibly modern. What sort of materials did he use to get such crisp, clean edges? Curator: Likely pen and ink, perhaps even a metal engraving. It lends itself to that precise, almost ethereal quality. It’s like looking at the shadow cast by thought itself. Editor: It’s incredible how Beardsley transforms those inexpensive materials into something so otherworldly. And to think, the book it was illustrating has been lost to time! Curator: Ah, but the dreams remain, etched in ink, accessible, ours. A dark, beautiful bargain, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Definitely a testament to the power of the means of production, to elevate the mundane into the magical. I’ll certainly be thinking about this material transformation for days.