# Banksy artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/banksy/
Profile generated: 2026-04-30T00:12:41.083Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: British, English
- Movements: Street art, Bristol underground scene
- Common media: Stencil graffiti, Serigraphy (screen printing), Painting, Installation art, Film

## About Banksy

Banksy is a pseudonymous British street artist, painter, and filmmaker who has been active since the 1990s. Emerging from the Bristol underground scene, the artist is known for satirical graffiti executed in a distinctive stencil technique that combines dark humor with pointed political and social commentary. Works have appeared on walls, bridges, and streets worldwide, addressing themes of war, capitalism, hypocrisy, and authority. Beyond street interventions, Banksy has produced gallery works, limited-edition screen prints, large-scale installations such as the Dismaland bemusement park, and the Oscar-nominated documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop. Despite sustained media attention and multiple investigative reports proposing identities including Robin Gunningham, the artist has never confirmed their real name. This anonymity is widely regarded as integral to both the artistic practice and the cultural reception of the work. Banksy's official authentication body, Pest Control, remains the sole accepted authority for verifying genuine works.

## Common works and media

Screen prints and editioned works on paper are the most frequently encountered Banksy items in auction and appraisal contexts, often produced in editions of 150 to 500 with both signed and unsigned variants. Canvas paintings, both unique works and small editions, appear less often but achieve higher individual prices. Street murals on walls, doors, and architectural elements are occasionally removed and sold, though provenance and legal title can be contentious. Sculptural objects, installation components, and limited artist books also circulate. Common subjects include rats, balloon motifs, police figures, monkeys, children, and subverted commercial or political iconography.

## Market and appraisal context

Banksy is among the most liquid living contemporary artists at auction, with 4,275 lots catalogued and 2,953 with recorded prices spanning from August 2000 through April 2026. The recorded price range is exceptionally wide: from a $10 minimum to a $47,050,000 maximum, reflecting the gulf between mass-produced offset lithographs at the low end and unique museum-grade paintings at the high end. The interquartile range ($420–$25,000) and median of $3,000 indicate that the bulk of the trade is in editioned screen prints and modest works, while seven-figure results are reserved for rare, fully authenticated unique pieces. The market is distributed across a broad bench of houses—Christie's and Bonhams for premium lots, alongside specialist and regional firms including Forum Auctions, Tate Ward Auctions, Roseberys, Dreweatts, Chiswick Auctions, Hessink's, Setdart, and Propstore London. This diversity of venues supports strong liquidity for mid-range editioned works. Recent comparable data shows signed screen prints of iconic subjects (Girl With Balloon, 2004, signed: £115,000 at Tate Ward; Happy Chopper, 2003: £11,000 at Roseberys) commanding significant premiums over unsigned or lesser-known imagery (GDP Rat, 2019: £800; Migrants in a Boat, 2025: £320). The 53% decline in lot volume from the prior 12-month period (309 to 145) warrants monitoring but may reflect data lag rather than a structural shift.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Banksy is among the most liquid living contemporary artists at auction, with 4,275 lots catalogued and 2,953 with recorded prices spanning from August 2000 through April 2026. The recorded price range is exceptionally wide: from a $10 minimum to a $47,050,000 maximum, reflecting the gulf between mass-produced offset lithographs at the low end and unique museum-grade paintings at the high end. The interquartile range ($420–$25,000) and median of $3,000 indicate that the bulk of the trade is in editioned screen prints and modest works, while seven-figure results are reserved for rare, fully authenticated unique pieces. The market is distributed across a broad bench of houses—Christie's and Bonhams for premium lots, alongside specialist and regional firms including Forum Auctions, Tate Ward Auctions, Roseberys, Dreweatts, Chiswick Auctions, Hessink's, Setdart, and Propstore London. This diversity of venues supports strong liquidity for mid-range editioned works. Recent comparable data shows signed screen prints of iconic subjects (Girl With Balloon, 2004, signed: £115,000 at Tate Ward; Happy Chopper, 2003: £11,000 at Roseberys) commanding significant premiums over unsigned or lesser-known imagery (GDP Rat, 2019: £800; Migrants in a Boat, 2025: £320). The 53% decline in lot volume from the prior 12-month period (309 to 145) warrants monitoring but may reflect data lag rather than a structural shift.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily uses these auction records as comparable-sale evidence alongside the physical and documentary characteristics of each item presented for appraisal. For Banksy, the critical appraisal inputs are: (1) Pest Control certificate of authenticity—its presence or absence is the single most consequential value factor; (2) edition size and position (e.g., 13/82 for Christ with Shopping Bags vs. 131/500 for Sale Ends V.2—smaller editions generally command higher per-unit prices); (3) signature status (signed vs. unsigned variants of the same image routinely show 3–10× price differentials); (4) medium and substrate (screenprint on Arches wove paper vs. offset lithograph on thin card); (5) condition, including foxing, fading, handling creases, and frame condition; (6) provenance documentation such as original Pictures on Walls purchase receipts, gallery invoices, or Walled Off Hotel registration records; and (7) the specific iconographic subject, with balloon girls, rats, monkeys, and anti-war imagery consistently outperforming less recognizable motifs. Appraisers should select comparables from the same medium, edition range, and authentication status, adjusting for condition and market-trend timing.

### Valuation factors

- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]
- [object Object]

### Collector notes

- Signed screen prints from the 2003–2008 period (published by Pictures on Walls) represent the most active and price-transparent segment of the Banksy market. Expect to compete with both collectors and speculators.
- Unsigned offset lithographs (e.g., Soup Cans, Tesco Tomato Soup) trade between €850–€1,000 and may appeal to entry-level buyers, but appreciation potential is limited compared to signed, numbered screen prints.
- Attributed or unauthenticated works carry material risk. One recent lot (Kavanagh Auctions, Rude Copper, attributed) realized CAD 7,250—well below what a Pest Control-certified example would command. Insist on authentication before purchasing.
- If you own a Banksy screen print, preserve all original documentation: purchase receipt, Pest Control certificate, gallery correspondence, and framing records. These materially affect resale value and appraisal accuracy.
- Be cautious with murals or wall-mounted street works. Legal title, copyright, and moral-rights issues can make these works unsaleable or subject to dispute even if physically authentic.
- Condition matters disproportionately in a market with many similar editions. A well-preserved, unframed or archivally framed example will command a premium over a faded or damaged copy of the same image.

### Market caveats

- The $47,050,000 maximum price reflects a unique, high-profile work and is not representative of the typical Banksy transaction. The median recorded price is $3,000 and the 75th percentile is $25,000.
- Several recent lots have null price-realised values, meaning the outcome (bought-in, withdrawn, or unreported) is unknown. Price statistics and comparable analysis should exclude these lots.
- Banksy's anonymous identity means attribution relies on Pest Control verification rather than traditional catalogue raisonné scholarship. Works lacking Pest Control certification should be treated as high-risk regardless of visual similarity.
- The observed 53% decline in recent 12-month lot volume (309 to 145) could reflect data incompleteness for the most recent period, reduced consignment activity, or genuine market cooling. Do not draw firm trend conclusions from this single data point.
- Multiple currencies appear in recent results (EUR, GBP, CAD). Cross-currency comparisons should account for exchange-rate fluctuations rather than treating nominal values as directly comparable.
- Appraisily auction signals are derived from public auction feeds and may not capture private sales, dealer transactions, or online-only platforms, which represent a significant secondary channel for Banksy editioned works.

### Market evidence sources

- undefined: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/banksy/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-street-artist-born-1974-36-c-d2c0f7916d
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-street-artist-born-1974-30-c-efc7bf71af
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-street-artist-born-1974-11-c-855fadb814
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-bristol-england-1975-soup-cans-2006-offset-lithograph-signed-on-plate-purchased-directly-from-the-publisher-pow-pictures-on-walls-original-receipt-preserved-139-c-cf40234006
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-1974-girl-with-balloon-2004-signed-170-c-17c4e0f99d
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-bristol-england-1975-walled-off-hotel-box-set-palestine-2017-mixed-media-digital-print-and-spray-painted-concrete-fragment-on-cardboard-attached-original-payment-receipt-issued-by-walled-off-hotel-201-c-15229d021e
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-b-1974-attrib-rude-copper-screenprint-signed-numbered-24-250-49-c-913153b21a
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-b-1974-217-c-c9147a9e1d
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-b-1974-nola-white-rain-2008-192a-c-591adaf80a
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-1974-because-i-m-worthless-2004-191-c-3ca70c9677
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-1974-i-fought-the-law-2004-188-c-8caaee3eea
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-born-1974-nola-a-p-grey-rain-screenprint-in-colours-2008-on-arches-wove-paper-signed-and-inscribed-ap-01-in-pencil-an-artist-s-proof-aside-from-the-numbered-edition-of-63-published-by-pictures-on-walls-london-119-c-584d8b5974
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-born-1974-jack-jill-police-kids-screenprint-in-colours-2005-on-wove-paper-signed-dated-and-numbered-66-350-in-pencil-published-by-pictures-on-walls-london-with-their-blindstamp-the-full-sheet-framedimage-450-6-118-c-86d0994d49
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-born-1974-sale-ends-v-2-screenprint-in-colours-2017-on-arches-wove-paper-signed-and-numbered-131-500-in-pencil-published-by-pictures-on-walls-london-with-their-blindstamp-the-full-sheet-framedimage-395-x-658mm-15-1-2-117-c-087c7029e5
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-born-1974-christ-with-shopping-bags-screenprint-in-colours-2004-on-wove-paper-signed-dated-and-numbered-13-82-in-pencil-published-by-pictures-on-walls-london-the-full-sheet-framedimage-641-441mm-25-1-4-17-3-116-c-e51305abef
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-born-1974-weston-super-mare-screenprint-in-colours-2003-on-wove-paper-signed-in-black-ink-numbered-35-150-in-pencil-published-by-pictures-on-walls-london-the-full-sheet-framedsheet-350-x-1000mm-13-3-4-x-39-3-8in-114-c-b4f3204d80
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-b-1974-migrants-in-a-boat-2025-screenprint-in-two-colo-381-c-3c6595a214
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-b-1974-gdp-rat-2019-monochrome-screenprint-on-thin-pa-379-c-db4c5a7e42
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-british-b-1974-happy-chopper-2003-screenprint-in-colours-on-wo-374-c-dc7e8a51bf
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-think-tank-original-graffiti-artwork-by-banksy-76-c-c259f1bed1
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-bristol-england-1975-tesco-value-tomato-soup-2006-offset-lithograph-signed-on-plate-147-c-f94494abf4
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-bristol-england-1975-make-hummus-not-walls-2017-painted-resin-attached-purchase-invoice-for-the-walled-off-hotel-with-registration-number-on-the-base-of-the-sculpture-and-on-the-invoice-96-c-54b403aac3
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-1974-fck-ptn-cadre-moyen-signe-edition-limitee-propose-a-la-vente-au-profit-de-la-reconstruction-des-ecoles-ukrainiennes-un-cadre-artistique-en-bois-tres-rare-du-timbre-banksy-fck-ptn-em-381-c-b824e1c9dd
- undefined: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-banksy-1974-fck-ptn-signed-large-frame-limited-edition-mis-en-vente-au-profit-de-la-reconstruction-des-ecoles-ukrainiennes-un-cadre-artistique-en-bois-tres-rare-du-timbre-banksy-fck-ptn-emis-en-379-c-43b4a8d89d

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine identity research from library authorities, museum records, and official artist sources with auction-house lot data, realized prices, sale dates, and comparable records. For Banksy, additional data points include Pest Control authentication status, edition size, medium, and condition reports from recorded sales.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2003094902
- RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History): https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/276847
- VIAF (Virtual International Authority File): https://viaf.org/viaf/51384525/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133600
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy
- Banksy: https://banksy.co.uk
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500126137