The Yellow Book

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Cover of an edition of the Yellow Book (1894)

The Yellow Book was a British literary and art magazine that appeared from 1894 to 1897.

origin of the name

Its name is derived from a "Yellow Book" that plays a role in Oscar Wilde's novel The Portrait of Dorian Gray (1890) as a book with a corrupting effect.

In The Portrait of Dorian Gray , the “Yellow Book” is described as a work from the “French School of Symbolism”. It was often equated with the work À rebours (German: Against the Grain ) by Joris-Karl Huysmans , published in 1884 .

Wilde's statements about the "Yellow Book" contradict each other, he claimed in a letter from 1884 that it was one of the many books he had not yet written, and during the Queensberry Trial in 1895 he replied to the prosecutor's question whether It is about the writings of Huysman: "It is not very well written, but it gave me an idea ..." The book mentioned describes the decline of a young Parisian who wants to experience all passions and ways of thinking. Dorian Gray eventually identifies himself with the hero and begins his immoral escapades.

The literary magazine

The magazine The Yellow Book was published by Elkin Mathews and John Lane and was the trend-setting medium of British aestheticism . Well-known authors such as Max Beerbohm and Henry James wrote for the magazine, but also texts by young authors such as Arnold Bennett , Charlotte Mew and Maurice Baring were published. The style-setting illustrator was Aubrey Beardsley , who also created the first illustrations for Oscar Wilde's Salomé . In Germany Beardsley's illustrations, some of which were based on Japonism , had a major influence on Art Nouveau .

When Oscar Wilde was charged with fornication in 1895, a French novel with a yellow cover was found on him, which the press referred to as the "Yellow Book". Beardsley's connection with Wilde was enough that a stone-throwing mob appeared outside the publisher's office and several other writers demanded Beardsley's dismissal. After his departure, the magazine's success declined until it was discontinued in 1897 after 13 issues.

Beardsley founded The Savoy magazine with Arthur Symons in 1896 .

literature

  • Patrick Bade: Aubrey Beardsley , New York: Parkstone Pree Ltd, 2001.
  • Oscar Wilde: The portrait of Dorian Gray , Leipzig, Reclam 2000, afterword by Ulrich Horstmann.

"Yellow" in journalism

The English expression “yellow press” for tabloid press is not derived from the “Yellow Book”, but from the American comic book The Yellow Kid at the same time .

Web links

Commons : The Yellow Book  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files