Isolde

About this work

A woman in a long, flowing dress stands against a flat black background. Her hair is piled high, and her face is pale, almost ghostly. Thin lines outline every fold of fabric and curl of hair. Beardsley drew this in 1895, pulling the character Isolde from an old love story. His style is sharp—no shading, just bold lines that make the image feel like a cut-out. It was made for a popular art magazine, not a book, which was unusual for him at the time. Look up other works by Aubrey Beardsley (British, 1872–1898) to see more of his striking, line-heavy style. (89 words)