Artwork Page for The Toilet, from The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

Details / Information for The Toilet, from The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

The Toilet, from The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

c. 1895–96

Aubrey Beardsley

(British, 1872–1898)
Culture
England, 19th century
Medium
pen and black ink with traces of graphite underdrawing
Measurements
Sheet: 25.6 x 17.4 cm (10 1/16 x 6 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1953.136
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

After a rapid rise to fame and notoriety, Aubrey Beardsley produced hundreds of drawings before falling victim to tuberculosis at the age of 25.

Description

In this drawing, Aubrey Beardsley illustrates an early scene in Alexander Pope’s satirical masterpiece The Rape of the Lock (1712) in which the heroine, Belinda, primps in her boudoir. Reflecting the poem’s emphasis on contrived rather than natural beauty, the drawing is densely layered with artifice. A view of an idyllic garden with a cupola-topped pavilion is glimpsed not through a window as it would first seem, but on a folding screen. The bejeweled bottles littering the table serve as emblems of Belinda’s vanity.
A vertically oriented ink drawing in black ink depicts two women in an interior. On the left, a woman in a dark, ruffled gown stands and reaches toward the hair of a seated woman. Facing our right, the seated woman wears an ornate gown and sits before a dressing table with candles. Dense patterns of dots and stripes cover the floor, folding screen, and wallpaper in the background.

The Toilet, from The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

c. 1895–96

Aubrey Beardsley

(British, 1872–1898)
England, 19th century

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