The Lacedemonian Ambassadors, for "The Lysistrata of Aristophanes"
Medium
Collotype
Dimensions
Image: 10 1/16 × 6 15/16 in. (25.5 × 17.7 cm) Sheet: 13 7/8 in. × 10 in. (35.3 × 25.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Charles Curtis, 2015
Accession Number
2015.104.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Aubrey Beardsley'sThe Lacedemonian Ambassadors*, created as an illustration for Aristophanes' satirical comedy *Lysistrata*, captures a pivotal scene from the ancient Greek play where Spartan envoys arrive amid the women's sex strike to end the Peloponnesian War. Produced around 1926 as a collotype print—a photomechanical process prized for its fine detail and tonal subtlety—this work reproduces Beardsley's intricate black-and-white line drawings. Featuring male nudes, it reflects the play's bold eroticism and the artist's fascination with classical antiquity reimagined through a modern lens. ...