Messalina returning home 1896

Curator: Let’s consider Aubrey Beardsley’s 1896 ink drawing, "Messalina Returning Home." What strikes you initially? Editor: It's…uncomfortable. There's something very stylized, almost cartoonish, about the figure, yet she's rendered with a deliberate, unflinching gaze and a kind of fleshy vulnerability that clashes with the bold lines. What do you see in it? Curator: The drawing’s unease is precisely its power. Beardsley is engaging with the historical figure of Messalina, the Roman empress notorious for her alleged promiscuity, not merely as a subject, but as a lens through which to examine Victorian society's own anxieties about female sexuality and power. How do you think he achieves this effect? Editor: Maybe through the contrast? She is both classical and modern at the same time. And while seemingly demure in her stance, she projects a transgressive attitude, a feeling of self-awareness beyond the typical damsel in distress. The Art Nouveau style enhances her theatrical quality. Curator: Precisely. And think about Beardsley himself – an artist who challenged societal norms through his subversive art. The black and white medium further strips down any illusion of romance; it highlights the stark choices of the woman returning to the scene. Does the gaze make you think about class? Editor: The composition invites us, almost forces us, to reflect on the burden of female visibility, particularly of women in positions of power, throughout history and today. The ornate setting creates a hyper-stylized backdrop that heightens Messalina's discomfort in her own skin. Curator: Exactly. This image speaks volumes about the long, complicated history of women navigating visibility and power and desire, especially when viewed through the lenses of art history, feminism, and cultural norms. What I take from the conversation is that what it depicts still seems pertinent, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It gives us new tools to continue a difficult discussion today.