Yellow Nineties 2.0

V3 The Coiffing SAVOYV3_icon9 SAVOYV3_icon9 The Savoy Aubrey Beardsley July 1896 London 20 x 13.5 cm illustration pen and ink 1890s indoors interior dressing room woman princess man barber figurine statue Madonna and child baby scissors pillow bow ribbon slipper vase roses table mantle mirror hat box string of pearls candlestick holder crown robe cape curtain blind birds window "AUBREY BEARDSLEY." [caps] V3 The Coiffing This line-block reproduction of Beardsley’s pen-and-ink drawing is in portrait orientation, facing the poem by Bardsley it illustrates, “The Ballad of a Barber,” on p. 91. The image shows a seated woman or girl (“The Princess”) facing the viewer, with a male figure (the barber) standing behind her. They are shown inside a dressing room, with a small religious figurine standing on the fireplace mantel behind them. In the foreground and to the left is the edge of a table. The table has one plain curved leg sticking out from underneath a white tablecloth that falls nearly to the ground. On top of the table is a small three-footed vase containing a bouquet of small roses and leaves. To the right of the table in the foreground is the woman sitting on a chair, turned to face slightly to the right, but with her directly to the viewer. She is wearing a large ruffled dressing gown; one big bow tied at her chest has long ribbons extending down to her knees. Her feet rest on a tasseled pillow on the floor. Her right hand rests on her lap while her left hand is lifted to her chin. Her mouth is slightly opened and her eyes look to the left side of the page. She has mid-length wavy hair with a little hairpiece on the left side of the top of her head. The headpiece is a small clip of swirled material. Behind her and to the left on the page is a standing male figure, the barber. His right foot sticks out to the left of the woman’s skirt, wearing a small slipper with a bow at the toe. He is wearing an apron with a pocket containing a pair of scissors. He has a button-up shirt with a black bow-tie underneath the apron, which is tied with a large dark coloured bow. The barber also has a slightly opened mouth and a crease between his brows. His hair is elaborately coiffed with a pompadour and waves at the side. Behind and to the left in the background is a fireplace mantel that is ornamented with swirling lines. On top of the mantle is a half visible oval shaped mirror with a slightly ornamented edge. In front and to the right of the mirror is a hat box that has its lid slightly off-kilter and a string of pearls hanging out off the edge. To the right of the box on the mantle is a candlestick holder. There is a little picture frame balanced on its bottom right corner and leaned against the wall. In front of that frame is a small female figurine standing on the mantle. She is wearing a robe or cape that falls widely around her. She has light and straight short hair and is wearing a crown. She has her left arm extended out in front of her holding a baby [this could be a religious statuette of the Madonna and Child]. The baby’s body appears in profile facing to the left side of the page, but the baby’s head is turned to face the viewer. The baby has on a long gown and also is wearing a crown. To the right of the mantle is a plain and light coloured curtain hanging down the side of a small window. The window and its surrounding draperies start just above the floor edge and extend past the picture frame. The window has a delineation in the middle of wood framing with an ornamented stick and a small box in the centre. The window has a frilly half-curtain covering the bottom half and an ornamental blind on the top, with a fringed valance. In the small bit of visible window there is a trail of birds flying in a curved line in the distance. In the bottom left corner is the artist’s signature:: “AUBREY BEARDSLEY.” [caps]. The image is framed by a double-lined edge.