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Et in Arcadia Ego
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Et in Arcadia Ego
Black & white illustration published in 1896 in The Savoy magazine. Artist: Aubrey Beardsley Date: 1896
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Media ID 23146350
© Mary Evans / Peter & Dawn Cope Collection
1896 Arcadia Aubrey Beardsley Savoy
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Et in Arcadia Ego
EDITORS COMMENTS
is a haunting and enigmatic illustration created by the visionary artist Aubrey Beardsley in 1896, published in The Savoy magazine. This black and white masterpiece, a departure from the traditional idyllic depictions of Arcadia, the pastoral paradise, challenges the viewer's perception of beauty and the transience of life. Beardsley's illustration, set in a serene pastoral scene, is dominated by the skeletal figure of Death, who intrudes upon the peaceful landscape, holding an inscription that reads "Et in Arcadia Ego," Latin for "I, too, am in Arcadia." The skeleton is flanked by two figures, a man and a woman, who gaze in shock and disbelief at the intrusion of mortality into their idyllic world. The image is a powerful commentary on the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death, even in the most idyllic of settings. Beardsley's innovative use of line and form, inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, adds to the illustration's haunting and ethereal quality. The intricate details, from the delicate folds of the figures' clothing to the delicate leaves on the trees, are rendered with a precision and finesse that belies the simplicity of the medium. Published in The Savoy, a leading literary magazine of the time, Beardsley's "Et in Arcadia Ego" was a groundbreaking work that helped establish the artist's reputation as a pioneer of the Art Nouveau movement. The illustration continues to captivate and intrigue viewers, over a century after its creation, as a testament to the enduring power of art to challenge our perceptions and provoke thought.
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