Compare and contrast the work of illustrators Aubrey Beardsley and Edward Gorey - Essay Example

He began the art of illustrating in 1892 in Paris where Parisian fashion influenced his style of illustrations. This paper outlines the comparison and contrast between Edward Gorey and Aubrey Beardsley in their works as illustrators. Comparisons Both artists represented the high caliber of creativity and artistic brilliance. Edward on his side is the most imaginative artist of all time in America while Aubrey on the other side was an indispensable artist because he influenced his age and gave huge knowledge throughout Europe and America.

Illustrators Gorey and Beardsley were both identified with artwork that had similar form in expressing skills and techniques though in different ways. Their work clearly expresses the value of illustrations in artistic work and shows how they should be correctly executed. They clearly bring out the understanding of each illustration including the shape and form that ensures the genre is understood in the present and future. Both were best known illustrators with detailed illustrations and stories.

There works have inspired many people. They both used ink in their drawings and writing. Aubrey in drawing his images used ink, the large dark areas had contrasted with the large blank areas while other areas did not contrast at all. Gorey’s signature pen and ink as illustrated in his work and the use of strange and horrible words made him to be considered as America’s most imaginative and strange artist of all time. They played with both text and pictures i.e. Gorey was best known for his fantastic drawings especially the use of children such as (The Gashlycrumb Tinies, (1963), Alice in wonderland) and amusing, odd/unpredictable stories.

Beardsley on the other hand wrote a book, “Under the Hill” an incomplete erotic tale and many other short stories plus several letters. Most of his work though are illustrated. Some of his famous illustrations include The Stomach Dance, 1894, The Peacock Skirt, 1894, Der Puderquast, 1893, Masquerade among many others. Beardsley and Gorey’s artistic works were based on the same subject. They both dealt on; costume and fashion, collections, book illustrations, botanicals, education, world culture and others.

Their artistic style was also the same and include; photography, fine and vintage. This kind creativity promoted their work and also made them memorable to date. Both created works with different degrees of realism, employing imagery, forms and motifs from flora and fauna. Their work was rated as the most innovative and progressive which attracted many international critics. Gorey's most books are of humor and cartoon sections of most bookstores, although a book such as The Object Lesson earned serious respect in the society, it was full of animation and humor.

Contrasts: Gorey's books/work were popular with kids but he never associated them with kids it is believed that he had no fondness for them. Maybe it is because he was never married and he specifically confessed to have less interest in romance as indicated in the book The Strange Case of Edward Gorey. During interviews, he never discussed anything about romance. At one point during an interview he said “I'm neither one thing nor the other particulars. I am fortunate in that I am apparently reasonably undersexed or something … I've never said that I was gay and I've never said that I wasn't