Welcome
To Hell (Placard Rat)
Find out more about Banksy's Welcome To Hell (Placard Rat) series, browse prints & editions for sale & view the works wanted by active buyers right now.
Welcome To Hell (Placard Rat)
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Critical Review
Part of the 2004 Placard Rat print series, Welcome to Hell shows Banksy’s now-iconic stencilled rat, clutching a protest placard. Said rat, painted in Banksy’s iconic black and white stencilled style, stands up on its hind legs holding a placard with the words ‘Welcome To Hell’ handwritten in bright red splattered paint, unavoidably reminiscent of blood.
The violence of the message is contrasted by the peace sign around the rat’s neck in a complex double entendre that is characteristic of Banksy’s prints. The artist’s position on law enforcement, militarism, capitalism and consumerism is well known, and this work seems to encapsulate those beliefs with a clear warning against modern life in the over-surveilled city.
The other two works from the series, titled Get Out While You Can and Because I’m Worthless, and were released in similar edition sizes. The whole series contains only 75 signed prints and 175 unsigned prints, each with red or pink colour ways. The placard rat is among Banksy’s most recognisable characters, appearing several times in murals on the streets of London.
Rats feature heavily in Banksy’s iconography, thanks in part to the influence of prolific French street artist Blek le Rat who began spray painting the animals on the streets of Paris in the '80s, sparking a whole urban art movement in France. To learn more about Banksy's rats, see our guide here.
Banksy & Blek Le Rat
Banksy has acknowledged the influence of Xavier Prou – as Blek is also known – in his 2005 book Wall and Piece in which he wrote, “Every time I think I’ve painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.”
His adoption of the rat as a symbol suggests parallels between the rodents and graffiti artists who are both seen as pests with which the city is engaged in a seemingly eternal and futile battle to eradicate or at least control. Throughout his oeuvre Banksy uses rats to represent humans of all kinds, good and bad, from the anarchist protester, the painter or photographer to a thief, or, in this case, your local high street doomsayer.
Why is Welcome To Hell important?
Between 2000 and 2005 Banksy painted a number of these rats – from very small to monumental in scale – on the streets of not just London but also New York and Liverpool. Here we see one of his most iconic designs presented as a striking screen print that is highly in demand for its small edition size.
Why we love Welcome To Hell… "With its tongue in cheek message, Welcome to Hell is yet another reminder of Banksy’s unfailing ability to capture the zeitgeist in the age of late capitalism. Its classic stencil aesthetic makes it an important part of this street artist’s impressive oeuvre." - Joe Syer
How do I buy Welcome To Hell?
One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of buying work by Banksy is by using us to reach a seller. MyArtBroker is a curated site, meaning we feature artists that our collectors say they want. You can find Banksy art for sale here. You’ll need to create a free account to buy or sell with us. We offer an in-depth individual analysis on Banksy works and how certain factors have influenced their market price over the years, as well as useful tips on how to accredit an original Banksy.
How can I sell my Welcome To Hell?
If you're looking to sell art by Banksy, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.
