Exhibition themes Lysistrata

Boyd was attracted to the anti-war message of the Greek comedy Lysistrata, using it as a subject in both prints and paintings. Lysistrata encouraged the women of Greece to withhold sexual favours from their husbands and lovers in order to broker peace in the Peloponnesian War.

Two paintings using the Lysistrata subject have been included in the exhibition. They have both been painted on Perspex. Boyd’s use of this unusual medium allows the colour to glow. It is a further example of his enjoyment of experimentation with diverse materials.

Boyd later illustrated the entire story in a suite of 30 etching published in 1970. In these works he plays with the tonal qualities of the aquatint process, creating works which emphasise the dramatic contrast between the black ink and the white paper.