The fin de siècle was a transition period in between the realist trends of the nineteenth century and the modernist styles of the twenties in which art flourished. Fin de siècle England produced some of the most iconic literary works known, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and War of the Worlds, often written in the styles of decadence and aestheticism. Less celebrated, but no less important, are the periodical publications of the era that published and spread works by creators known and obscure.

Although its publication period was brief, the periodical the Yellow Book has received attention for featuring “some of the best and most representative literary art” (Weitraub 137) of the fin de siècle. Included in the first volume of the Yellow Book, one that was panned by critics but is now lauded, was an image called “The Old Oxford Music Hall”, a music hall painting created by Walter Sickert from 1888 to 1889 and reproduced for the publication’s April 1894 volume. Found in the April 1896 ninth volume of the Yellow Book, known as one of the worst in terms of quality (Weitraub 149), is a non-fiction essay called “On the Art of Yvette Guilbert” by Stanley V. Makower.

During the fin de siècle, music hall performers relied heavily on advertising to promote themselves. Both the performers and the advertisers benefited through a symbiotic relationship in that their great success and public attention depended on the other (Hindson 122). To the general public, female professional performers exuded a semi-mythological image (Hindson 129) through their advertisements that the public was able to consume through visits to the music hall. An individual, unmistakeable, and iconic image was necessary for the female performer to reinforce and create through promotional material. If the audience was taken to the female performer's persona and character, they could enjoy international success and celebrity status.