So precisely with the Morte d’Arthur; even the last decorations he made were more akin to his Greek Vase style in The Yellow Book.
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Before we leave the Morte d’Arthur, and the difficulties with Beardsley in which it ended, let us remember that artists and authors are often prone to ingratitude towards those who have led their steps to the ladder of Fame—and Beardsley was no exception. It was J. M. Dent who opened the gates for Beardsley to that realm which was to bring him the bays. Had it not been for Dent he would have died with his song wholly unsung—there would have been for him no Studio “réclame,” no Yellow Book, no Salome, no Savoy. Dent, employing with rare vision the budding genius of the youth, brought forth an edition of Sir Thomas Malory’s immortal Morte d’Arthur which is a triumph for English bookmaking—he gave us the supreme edition that can never be surpassed by mortal hands—he did so in a form within the reach of the ordinary man—and in the doing he made the much vaunted work of William Morris and his fellow-craftsmen appear second-rate, mechanical, and over-ornate toys for millionaires.
HEADPIECE FROM “LE MORTE D’ARTHUR”
THE PEACOCK SKIRT
from “Salome”
VI
THE JAPANESQUES