Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 1872 – 16 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His drawings in black ink, influenced by the style of
Japanese woodcuts, emphasized the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the
Aesthetic movement which also included
Oscar Wilde and
James A. McNeill Whistler. Beardsley's contribution to the development of the
Art Nouveau and
poster styles was significant, despite the brevity of his career before his early death from tuberculosis.