Born in Brighton, England in 1872, Beardsley began drawing in grammar school, eventually attending the Westminster School of Art under the tutelage of Fred Brown. Traveling to Paris in 1892, Beardsley discovered the art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the Parisian penchant for Japanese printmaking techniques. A master of pen and ink, Beardsley developed this stark contrast as his signature style. Renowned for his dark—and often grotesque—illustrations, he grew to be one of the most controversial artists of the Art Nouveau era.