10 Facts About Banksy's CND Soldiers
Written by - MyArtbroker
First seen on the houses of Parliament and now recognised as one of the artist's most prominent anti-war artworks, CND Soldiers is one of the most sought-after Banksy prints.
To learn more about the work and its legacy, see our 10 facts here:
Banksy’s CND Soldiers first appeared in 2003
The mural was painted on a wall close to the Houses of Parliament in London. Nearby, a peaceful protest was taking place, led by campaigner Brian Haw. Haw had camped in Parliament Square since 2001 to oppose the UK and US foreign policy regarding Iraq.
Although Banksy’s CND Soldiers was later removed by the authorities, Haw would stay at Parliament Square for a total of ten years.
The artwork is a surprising message for peace
CND Soldiers shows two armed and uniformed soldiers graffitiing a wall. One stands guard with a machine gun while the other is poised with a paintbrush and a can of paint at his feet. In contrast to the threatening authority of the soldiers, behind them is a large, almost complete, peace sign in wet red paint.
What is the meaning behind CND Soldiers?
Banksy’s CND Soldiers promotes a message against violence and conflict – here, the soldiers are anti-war activists. In 2003, millions of people, including from the armed forces, protested against the UK’s invasion of Iraq. In Banksy’s artwork, the idea of soldiers ‘keeping the peace’ meant going against the government’s actions.
What does ‘CND’ stand for?
The title ‘CND’ stands for ‘Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament’ – its logo was originally used as a symbol against nuclear weapons, but it is now also widely recognised as a symbol of peace.
Banksy gave Haw a CND Soldiers placard… and illusionist Uri Geller wanted to buy it
According to the Independent in 2007, the famous magician was immediately taken with the artwork. “I’m very much against weapons,” Geller said to the newspaper. “So when I drove past Brian and saw the painting I pulled over and ran across the lawn and asked if I could buy it. I think I offered £5,000.”
Haw remembered the event differently: “Uri said he wanted this painting even when I said it wasn’t for sale. He offered £1,000. He was very peeved.”
The CND Soldiers placard was lost in a police raid but Banksy offered Haw a new artwork
Soon after the event with Geller, dozens of police officers descended on Haw’s camp in the middle of the night and removed 40 metres of placards, including the one by Banksy.
But afterwards, Banksy “sent his colleague Marcus recently to say he is happy to do one showing a noose, a pink noose in the shape of a heart. I’d like that,” Haw told the Independent. The newspaper did not report if one was made, or where it might be now.
CND Soldiers was later featured in Turner Prize-winning artwork
In 2007, the whole of Haw’s protest camp – including Banksy’s CND Soldiers – was recreated as a part of artist Mark Wallinger’s installation State Britain at Tate.
Wallinger won the Turner Prize later that year. His installation was praised as “a bold political statement with art’s ability to articulate fundamental human truths” – arguably a statement that could be applied to the work of Banksy or Haw too.
When was CND Soldiers released as a print?
CND Soldiers was released as editioned prints in 2005, two years after Banksy’s original mural. There are 350 signed and 350 unsigned editions.
CND Soldiers can sell for five-figure sums at auction
The top price paid for a signed CND Soldiers print is £93,600, from a London sale in December 2020. An unsigned print achieved JP¥7.8 million (£57,722) at an auction in Tokyo in October 2020.
Banksy often contrasts ideas of peace and violence
Messages of anti-war and anti-violence can be found throughout Banksy’s work, often delivered with humour or surprising, unexpected elements. In his mural Love Is In The Air (flower thrower) – which appeared in Bethlehem shortly after the West Bank Wall was constructed – Banksy shows a young man poised to throw a grenade… but the bomb is replaced with a bunch of flowers, highlighting the ridiculousness of conflict while also calling for a peaceful resolution.
