China and the West

Thanos Kalamidas : Beardsley took a trip to Paris in 1892 and encountered Toulouse-Lautrec, an admirer and lover of Eastern art, introducing Beardsley to a style that he quickly evolved.
In his drawings and illustrations you can see and feel the strokes of the ink and his emphasized grotesque approach to his characters ; you can see his fears and agonies, yet also feel his deep knowledge in Chinese ink drawings and his respect for the style.
The peacock in his painting The Peacock Skirt, a strong element in Chinese art, can be seen from the woman's dress, the background and in the wreath. The final element of the Chinese influence can also be seen in the mystic symbolic writing in the painting's top-right corner.
Beardsley is one of the best representatives of the Chinese style. All the porcelain or decorations elements are connected with this style. He was adapting the Chinese thought behind the actual ink strokes to his work.