Sale
Ends

Banksy’s 2006 print Sale Ends juxtaposes classical religious imagery with symbols of capitalism in his typical satirical style.

Imbued with the artist’s characteristic wit, it shows a group of four cloaked women starkly outlined in Banksy’s black-and-white stencilled style, set against a white background. Prostrated in front of the sign, the women are reminiscent of the lamenting figures typically seen at the base of the crucifixion in Renaissance paintings.Though, instead of a cross, Banksy has inserted a bold red sign bearing the words ‘SALE ENDS TODAY’ in large white capitals. Evoking typical shop signs designed to catch people’s attention and make them buy products they don’t necessarily need, the work is an obvious critique of our materialistic society and reflects our religious devotion to consumerist culture.

Part of the Barely Legal series, this Banksy print was made as an edition of 100 unsigned works which sold at the show for $500 apiece. Further prints in the series included Morons, Applause, Trolleys, Grannies and Festival, and together the set is considered to be one of the rarest collections of street art on the market. In 2007 Pictures on Walls re-released Sale Ends with an additional 150 signed Sale Ends prints.

When Pictures On Walls announced in 2017 they had ‘been taken over by venture anti-capitalists and will cease trading from 31st December 2017’, they held a closing down sale, during which they released a few remaining print editions as well as 400 prints of Sale Ends which were a reworking of the original 2006 version.