A large letter V superimposed in front of an elaborately-decorated elephant in profile view.
Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College
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Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College

In this graphite drawing with ink outlines, a large letter V in a serif font is front and center. Behind the V is a highly-wrinkled elephant with elongated ears, standing in profile view, facing right. Elaborate jewelry decorates the elephant’s body and its saddle, on top of which sits a Greek urn filled with fruit. In the background is a grand classical interior with a large tasseled curtain hanging on the right.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1943.636
People
Aubrey Vincent Beardsley, British (Brighton, England 1872 - 1898 Menton, France)
Title
Initial Letter V (Elephant)
Other Titles
Series/Book Title: Volpone
Classification
Drawings
Work Type
drawing
Date
1897
Culture
British
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/297774

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Black ink and graphite on white paper
Dimensions
17.9 x 16.2 cm (7 1/16 x 6 3/8 in.)

State, Edition, Standard Reference Number

Standard Reference Number
Zatlin 1081

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop
Accession Year
1943
Object Number
1943.636
Division
European and American Art
Contact
am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Publication History

  • Chris Snodgrass, Aubrey Beardsley: Dandy of the Grotesque, Oxford University Press (NY) and Oxford University Press (UK) (New York, NY and Oxford, England, 1995), fig. 5-7, pp. 222-224
  • Linda Gertner Zatlin, Aubrey Beardsley: A Catalogue Raisonné, Yale University Press (U.S.) (New Haven and London, 2016), vol. 2, no. 1081, pp. 401-402, repr. pp. 391, 402

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of European and American Art at am_europeanamerican@harvard.edu