The Serpent forms part of the acclaimed Prodigal Son Suite (1996), a sixteen-print cycle revisiting the biblical parable that Arthur Boyd explored throughout more than half a century of his career. Produced just three years before his death, the suite is widely regarded as the culmination of Boyd's lifelong engagement with the universal themes of temptation, loss, forgiveness and redemption. Printed by master printer Diana Davidson and co-published with Australian Galleries, it stands among the most technically accomplished and emotionally resonant print projects of the artist's later years.

Positioned at the emotional heart of the suite, The Serpent marks the pivotal moment where innocence yields to temptation. Rather than presenting the serpent as a simple biblical antagonist, Boyd transforms it into a timeless symbol of human vulnerability, desire and moral choice. Characteristically eschewing literal storytelling, he creates an image that feels both ancient and unmistakably Australian; where landscape, myth and psychology converge in a composition of remarkable depth and poetic intensity.

This work will particularly resonate with collectors of Australian modern masters, museum-quality printmaking and art that continues to reveal new layers of meaning with every viewing. It would sit comfortably alongside works by Australian luminaries such as John Olsen, Sidney Nolan, Charles Blackman, John Perceval and Fred Williams, while equally appealing to collectors drawn to spiritually and psychologically rich imagery. Whether acquired as a stand-alone statement or as part of a broader Arthur Boyd collection, The Serpent is a work of enduring relevance; one that speaks as profoundly to the complexities of the human condition today as it did when Boyd conceived it.

Arthur BOYD (1920 - 1999)
'The Serpent (plate 6 from the Prodigal Son Suite)' 1996
double plate etching on BFK Rives wove
Edition of 45
Image Size: 50 x 67 cm
Dimensions: 75 x 93 cm
Signed: Signed 'Arthur Boyd', editioned lower margin
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Embossed by Whaling Road Studios lower margin.

Exhibitions: Other impressions were featured in solo shows at Australian Galleries in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney in 1996-1997. Published in Herald Sun 1997.

Impressions are held in the National Gallery of Victoria (accession no. 1996.779.6) and Art Gallery of New South Wales (accession no. 149.1997.15)
Condition is Excellent.
(c) Arthur Boyd / Copyright Agency