Toxic Mary
Toxic Mary
Signed Print
Banksy
£21,000-£30,000
$45,000-$60,000 Value Indicator
$40,000-$60,000 Value Indicator
¥200,000-¥290,000 Value Indicator
€25,000-€35,000 Value Indicator
$220,000-$310,000 Value Indicator
¥4,060,000-¥5,800,000 Value Indicator
$28,000-$40,000 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Screenprint
Edition size: 150
Year: 2003
Size: H 70cm x W 50cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2025 | Christie's London | United Kingdom | |||
| September 2024 | Sotheby's Online | United Kingdom | |||
| February 2024 | Phillips London | United Kingdom | |||
| April 2023 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| January 2023 | Phillips London | United Kingdom | |||
| December 2022 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| November 2022 | Forum Auctions London | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
Banksy's early artwork, Toxic Mary, is a signed screen print edition of 150 from 2003. It challenges the traditional Madonna and Child iconography with a macabre depiction in monochromes. The skull and crossbones on the bottle Mary feeds her child represents Banksy's view that religion is a toxic form of control.
Toxic Mary was first shown to the public in Banksy's 2003 London exhibition, Turf Wars. It shows the Virgin Mary feeding her infant son, Jesus Christ against a hot pink backdrop. It is a striking, bold and controversial piece considered blasphemous by many in religious circles. Art fans and Banksy collectors simply took the dark humoured piece at face value, speculating that what Banksy is actually commenting on is the relationship between mother and child. However, there is no doubt that we one can also read some of Banksy's own religious views into this rather shocking piece. He could be saying that extreme religiousness and bigotry can, in fact, be poisonous, and that poison can be passed down through generations, and spread through families and communities. The only other obvious religious piece by Banksy is Christ with Shopping Bags, which uses religious iconography to comment on the way we worship capitalism and consumerism.
