‘Girl with Balloon’ by Banksy (after), 2021
Reproduction print in Gold Balloon variant by West Country Prince.
Based on the artist's original spray paint/stencil mural in Shoreditch, London, 2002.
Gold balloon variant.
27.5 x 19.75 Inches
70 x 50 Centimeters
34.4 x 27.2 x 1.4 Inches (framed)
Screen print on 300gsm Fabriano Archival Matte fine art paper.
Un-numbered Limited Edition.
A professionally printed, precise replica made to exacting quality based on the original edition by Pictures on Walls in 2004-2005.
West Country Prince and “Banksy copy” stamped in red on the reverse.
*Note: Professionally custom framed in acid-free black suede matting and UV-plexiglass in ornate gold hardwood molding (reminiscent of the artist's famous auction house shredding!).
ABOUT THE ART
'Girl With Balloon' is the quintessential Banksy image. Using his signature graffiti stencil technique, this motif is internationally recognisable.
Banksy released the unsigned and signed prints in 2004/2005 in low edition sizes; there are just 150 'Girl With Balloon' signed prints, and 600 unsigned, making it one of the most sought-after Bansky prints in his entire oeuvre.
It depicts a young girl whose hair and dress are blowing in the wind, reaching for, or releasing, a red, heart-shaped balloon that has slipped from her grasp. The gesture and the red balloon, an archetypal symbol of childhood and freedom, present a powerful message that can be read in a number of ways. Whether you see the girl as losing the balloon, or about to catch it, the meaning can be interpreted as a loss of innocence or the arrival of new hope and love.
The image first appeared in London's Southbank in 2002, together with a quotation that read ‘there is always hope’, before the council painted over it. In response, Banksy produced it again in a new context – a miniature version that appeared on the cardboard backing of a cheap Ikea frame, which quickly made its mark on the art market when it realised £73,250 at a sale at Bonhams in 2012.
Since then, versions of 'Girl with Balloon' have realised well above this. Girl with Balloon – Colour AP (Gold) realised £1,104,000 at Sotheby’s Modern Renaissance: A Cross-Category Sale in 25 March 2021, almost double its high estimate. The screenprint flew past the previous auction record held by a Banksy print, set by Girl with Balloon – Colour AP (Purple) at Christie’s in September 2020 for £791,250.