The Works of Max Beerbohm · Theme
Dandyism and Aestheticism
How The Works of Max Beerbohm develops Dandyism and Aestheticism.
The book extensively explores dandyism as a serious art form, exemplified by Beau Brummell's devotion to dress as a creative act, and the broader Aesthetic movement's pursuit of beauty and artifice over nature and morality.
Where it surfaces
- The Works of Max Beerbohm
Beerbohm's works embody the dandy's wit and aesthetic detachment, central to his literary identity.
- Dandies and Dandies
The chapter is a sustained meditation on dandyism as a decorative art, emphasizing the dandy's role as an artist working within fashion's conventions.
- A Good Prince
The prince's serene, ornamental role and the narrator's detached, aesthetic observation align with dandy ideals of style and detachment.
- 1880
The chapter details the rise of the Mashers and the Aesthetic movement, emphasizing dress, art, and the cult of Beauty.
- King George the Fourth
George IV is depicted as a 'giver of tone' who brought aesthetic refinement to society, embodying the dandy's pursuit of beauty and pleasure.
- Poor Romeo!
Coates's post-debut transformation into a figure of absurd ostentation parodies the dandyism of Brummell and the King, highlighting the fine line between style and folly.
- Diminuendo
Beerbohm critiques the pursuit of sensation and aesthetic experience, ultimately choosing a life of quiet intellectualism over active aestheticism.
- The Bibliography of the Works of Max Beerbohm
The bibliography includes works like 'Dandies and Dandies' and 'A Defence of Cosmetics,' central to Beerbohm's exploration of dandyism and aesthetic ideals.
- Endnotes
The endnotes discuss aesthetic costumes, the 'Masher' subculture, and figures like Whistler, all central to the dandy and aesthetic movements.