Soup
Can
This series by Banksy reimagines Andy Warhol's Soup Cans for the disillusioned contemporary viewer. Depicting a Tesco Value soup, he implicitly mocks the corporations that drive wealth inequality, and criticises the outcome of the consumerism Warhol championed.
Banksy Soup Can For sale
Soup Can Value (5 Years)
The Soup Can series by Banksy features both signed and unsigned editions, which diverge significantly in value. Signed examples typically command a premium, with auction data showing peak hammer prices have reached £113,977 for top-performing works. Across the series, 154 total auction sales have been recorded, with an average annual growth rate of 6.73%. The recorded hammer range spans £489 to £113,977, a variation linked to edition type, condition, rarity and private market demand, with a premium placed on rare-to-market signed variants. Factors that enhance value include signature, condition, edition rarity and provenance; these attributes influence both public auction results and private market activity. The first recorded auction sale for the series took place on 20/09/2007. For collectors, edition type plays a pivotal role in value potential within this series.
Soup Can Market value
Auction Results
| Artwork | Auction Date | Auction House | Return to Seller | Hammer Price | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Soup Can Banksy Signed Print | 30 Sept 2025 | Christie's London | 25,500 | 30,000 | 40,000 |
 Soup Can (violet, blue and tan) Banksy Signed Print | 30 Sept 2025 | Christie's London | 38,250 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
 Soup Can (banana, lime and purple) Banksy Signed Print | 30 Sept 2025 | Christie's London | 38,250 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
 Soup Can (white, emerald and tan) Banksy Signed Print | 25 Jun 2025 | Bonhams New Bond Street | 17,000 | 20,000 | 26,000 |
 Soup Can Banksy Unsigned Print | 30 Oct 2024 | Tate Ward Auctions | 10,200 | 12,000 | 16,000 |
 Soup Can (yellow, blue and tan) Banksy Signed Print | 19 Jun 2024 | Tate Ward Auctions | 21,250 | 25,000 | 35,000 |
 Soup Can (mint, emerald and cherry) Banksy Signed Print | 28 Sept 2023 | Christie's London | 29,750 | 35,000 | 45,000 |
 Soup Can (white, orange and raspberry) Banksy Signed Print | 30 Aug 2023 | Forum Auctions London | 34,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
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Meaning & Analysis
Banksy’s 2005 Soup Can, an obvious nod to Andy Warhol’s Pop prints, depicts the now defunct range of Tesco cream of tomato soup. Contrary to Warhol’s homage to the endlessly reproduced images of consumer society, here Banksy offers a biting criticism of a supermarket giant that has come to dominate the contemporary UK marketplace.
This print is closely related to the 2006 edition, Soup Can Quad, which depicts four cans of the same flavour soup – in contrast to Warhol’s range of 32 flavours. A thinly-veiled reference to the King of Pop Art, the print seeks to build an icon that references the stark reality - and monotony - of surviving on a tight budget. Banksy's cans feature gold tops - a motif that draws our attention to the wealth these commodities can bring to a select number of shareholders.
Printed in three colourways on a cream background, the edition evokes the nostalgic 'vintage' aesthetic now widely called upon by supermarkets, such as Tesco, as a means to market and sell British-made products. This work is not the first of Banksy's prints to criticise the supermarket chain Tesco: his mural Very Little Helps references the Tesco slogan ‘Every Little Helps,’ is considered to be one of the most famous murals in London. It remains preserved in its original location, now covered by Perspex.
Banksy's original Soup Can screenprint was released in 2005 and published by Pictures on Walls. The artist's soup cans are now considered to be among his most iconic and recognisable artworks. A total edition of 300 (50 signed and 250 Soup Can unsigned prints) was issued for this variation of the work. Soup Can was later released in 28 colour variations with 10 signed prints of each colour, resulting in 280 signed prints in total.
