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SAVOYV2_icon13_beerbohm_caricature

The wood-engraved image is in portrait orientation. The image shows a disproportionately sized man pulling a dog on wheels through an abstract park. The background of the image is blocked into three colour sections: the top third of the page is cross-hatched and grey, the bottom quarter of the page is the same grey cross-hatching, and the middle section, about just over half the total height of the page, is plain white. In the bottom right corner of the page is the artist’s signature: “MAX” [caps]. On the left side in the foreground, straddling the line between the grey cross-hatching and plain background, is a dog in profile facing to the right side of the page. The dog is a dark coloured poodle. It has been partially shaved, leaving the fur around the head, chest, upper-back, spheres of fur on the ankles of each foot, and three spheres on the tail. There is a bow on its head. The poodle stands on top of a rectangular board with trucks and wheels. There is a leash protruding from its neck that ends in the hand of the man. The man stands to the right of the poodle and just right of centre. The man reaches from the top edge of the bottom quarter of grey cross-hatching to the very top edge of the page in height. His height is divided evenly into half body and half head. His body is very thin, and it faces the viewer straight on. His legs are turned to walk toward the right side of the page. The left leg is bent backward and the right is extended straight out forward to the right. He appears to have no distinctive feet; instead, he has stilt-like points emerging from the bottom of his pants. He has on a black suit. A bow is tied around his neck and a boutonniere is pinned on his suit jacket at his heart. He has white cuffs emerging from the sleeves of the suit. His arms are bent at the elbow at a ninety degrees angle straight out to the side, almost at an inhuman angle. His hands hang straight down out of the sleeves as if boneless, and are gigantic in size. The leash is tucked between two fingers in his right hand. He has a long neck connecting his body to a massive head. His head is facing toward the left side of the page. He also has a long chin with a lipless mouth that is slightly ajar. His nose takes up over half the length of his face and it extends out substantially. No eyes are visible. The back of the head is shaped in a caricature style, curving in toward the chin and out at the top of the head to make a large dome. An small angular ear is visible in the dome part of the head at the top. The top of the dome is covered by bowl-cut style hair. The hair is straight and splits into two at the front of the face. In the mid-ground, and the white plain section of the colour blocks, is a thin rectangular made by two parallel lines spanning edge to edge horizontally. Within the rectangle, the text: “AUBREY BEARDSLEY” [caps] appears. The “BEARDSLEY” [caps] part is split into two on either side of the man’s body. The text “BEAR” [caps] appears to the left of the man, and the text: “DSLEY” [caps] appears to the right of him. Along the top edge of the rectangle, four small and plain trees stand. Three trees appear equally spread out to the left of the man and one is to his right, which is a result of his body being right aligned. There is a little space above the trees before the top third of grey cross-hatching begins.