Cul de Lampe
Date1906
Artist
Aubrey Vincent Beardsley
(British draftsman, illustrator and writer, 1872–1898)
Illustration CitationA Portfolio of Aubrey Beardsley's drawings illustrating "Salome," by Oscar Wilde (John Lane: London, c. 1906)
MediumOffset lithograph
Dimensionssheet: 13 1/4 × 10 3/16 in. (33.7 × 25.9 cm)
Credit LineAcquisition Fund, 2010
Object number2010-31.17
On View
Not on viewClassificationsPRINT
Label TextA “cul-de-lampe” is a French term for the tailpiece, which refers to the small illustrations found at the conclusion of the text. Generally the tail piece offers a visual synopsis of the narrative, as is the case in this image. Beardsley provides a moral reckoning of the drama which has transpired depicting the body of Salomé being lowered into a bin by two satanic figures.
