The Dream 1896

Aubrey Beardsley’s ink drawing presents us with a tableau of fin-de-siècle aesthetics, dominated by the figure of a woman gesturing towards a curtain adorned with a peacock. The peacock, a symbol of vanity and pride since ancient times, reappears frequently in art and literature. The peacock motif has evolved significantly. In early Christian art, it symbolized immortality. Yet, by Beardsley’s time, it had become associated with the decadent movement, embodying artifice and aestheticism. Consider, too, the pointing gesture of the woman: it is not merely directional but suggestive, an almost theatrical invitation into the scene’s mysteries. This gesture appears again and again, from Renaissance paintings to contemporary media. Such recurring symbols tap into a kind of collective memory, a subconscious recognition that transcends time. Beardsley masterfully uses these symbols, engaging viewers on a deeply psychological level. The allure of the dream is that it never really fades; the symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, reflecting our own changing perceptions and desires.