Banksy
Christ with Shopping Bags, 2004
Signed and numbered in pencil
Screenprint
Sheet: 70 x 50 cm
Framed: 85 x 64.2 cm
Framed: 85 x 64.2 cm
Edition of 82
A searing critique of modern consumerism, this is one of Banksy's rarest and most sought-after editions.
In this piece the image of the Crucifixion, so central to the iconography of Western art, is wildly subverted. Banksy has removed the Cross altogether, replacing it with heavily laden bags of shopping and gifts. The nails piercing the hands of Christ are also missing, yet the bags still appear to be seeping black blood. A pink candy cane and the silhouette of Mickey Mouse peep out from within, images of innocence rendered macabre and sinister by their juxtaposition with a universal image of suffering.
In Banksy's version of the Crucifixion, violence is inflicted upon the soul by consumption and consumerism. Shopping is the new religion. This is an icon for a dark new age.
In this piece the image of the Crucifixion, so central to the iconography of Western art, is wildly subverted. Banksy has removed the Cross altogether, replacing it with heavily laden bags of shopping and gifts. The nails piercing the hands of Christ are also missing, yet the bags still appear to be seeping black blood. A pink candy cane and the silhouette of Mickey Mouse peep out from within, images of innocence rendered macabre and sinister by their juxtaposition with a universal image of suffering.
In Banksy's version of the Crucifixion, violence is inflicted upon the soul by consumption and consumerism. Shopping is the new religion. This is an icon for a dark new age.
Any questions? We are happy to help. Call: 0117 279 6402 or send us a message now.
September 1, 2022
