(Fr)agile
1 work
Banksy Wrong War Cardboard (Grin Reaper) For Sale
Banksy
Wrong War Cardboard (Grin Reaper), 2003
Spray paint on cardboard
34 x 21 in 86.4 x 53.3 cm
About this work
This powerful piece features Banksy's iconic Grim Reaper figure rendered in the artist's signature stencil technique on found cardboard. The skeletal figure is depicted wearing a hooded robe while holding a placard that reads "Wrong War," creating a darkly humorous yet pointed commentary on military conflict. Executed in black spray paint, the work demonstrates Banksy's mastery of high-contrast imagery and his ability to transform humble materials into compelling political statements. The choice of cardboard as substrate adds rawness and immediacy to the piece, evoking protest signs and street activism. Created in 2003 during the Iraq War, this work represents a pivotal moment in Banksy's career when he emerged as a leading voice in contemporary political art. The piece exemplifies his unique ability to merge street art aesthetics with sophisticated social critique, making it highly sought after by collectors. Its combination of historical significance, provocative messaging, and characteristic Banksy wit makes it an essential addition to any serious contemporary art collection. Available for purchase — enquire for price and availability.
Price on Application
Auction History
Wrong War · Banksy · China Guardian · 2020-10 · $1,847
More from this series
More series by Banksy
About the Grin Reaper Series
Banksy Grin Reaper Prints For Sale
The Grin Reaper series represents one of Banksy's most incisive commentaries on war, consumerism, and societal complacency, executed during a pivotal period in the artist's career. Created between 2003 and 2005 against the backdrop of the Iraq War, these works feature Banksy's signature sardonic wit, depicting the Grim Reaper as a darkly comic figure navigating contemporary consumer culture. The imagery—death personified as both predator and participant in modern life—demonstrates Banksy's exceptional ability to transform universal symbols into vehicles for uncomfortable truths. Signed editions from this series, particularly the 2005 release, command premium positioning in the secondary market due to their authentication and limited availability.
Technically, the Grin Reaper works showcase Banksy's mastery of stencil-based screenprinting, a method that bridges his street art origins with fine art printmaking traditions. The stark contrasts and precise linework characteristic of these pieces reflect the efficiency and impact required in guerrilla art-making, translated into collectible formats. Wrong War Cardboard (Grin Reaper) from 2003 represents an earlier iteration, notable for its raw aesthetic and direct anti-war messaging, while the 2005 signed version demonstrates refinement in composition and production quality. Both works employ Banksy's characteristic monochromatic palette with strategic color accents, creating immediate visual impact while reinforcing thematic content.
From a market perspective, the Grin Reaper series occupies a significant position within Banksy's collected works, particularly among collectors focused on his political and social commentary pieces. Works from 2003-2005 represent Banksy's transition from underground provocateur to internationally recognized artist, making pieces from this period especially relevant for serious collections. The combination of historical significance, powerful imagery, and the artist's anti-establishment narrative continues to drive strong collector demand. Signed examples particularly represent optimal acquisition opportunities, offering authenticated provenance and investment-grade quality.
For collectors seeking museum-quality examples from this important series, Guy Hepner maintains inventory of authenticated Grin Reaper works, providing expert consultation on availability and acquisition.
About Banksy
Banksy prints for sale at Guy Hepner include authenticated signed and unsigned editions: Girl with Balloon, Choose Your Weapon, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Laugh Now, and Flower Thrower. Buy Banksy prints in New York through our gallery at 177 Tenth Avenue — all works sourced with full provenance and authentication documentation. We also buy Banksy art and offer free valuations for sellers.
Banksy is the world’s most celebrated anonymous street artist — a figure whose identity remains unknown but whose visual language is instantly recognisable across continents. Emerging from the Bristol graffiti scene in the early 1990s, Banksy developed a stencil-based technique that allowed rapid, precise execution on walls, bridges, and public surfaces from London and New York to Gaza and the West Bank. His work fuses dark humour, political provocation, and formal rigour in a way that has made him equally at home on the street and in the auction room. Today, Banksy art for sale represents one of the most dynamic and hotly contested segments of the contemporary secondary market.
Banksy Art For Sale
Banksy art for sale encompasses original spray-painted canvases, unique works on board, signed and unsigned print editions, and — on rare occasions — documented wall works sold with photographic authentication. The breadth of subjects he has addressed is remarkable: consumer capitalism (Tesco Soup Cans, Trolley Hunters), celebrity culture (Kate Moss, Andy Warhol), surveillance and control (Radar Rat, CCTV Watching), and hope and fragility (Girl with Balloon, Fragile).
The benchmark auction event in Banksy’s market history remains the October 2018 Sotheby’s London sale, when Girl with Balloon — having just sold for £1.04 million — was partially shredded by a device concealed in the frame, becoming Love is in the Bin. The reconstituted work subsequently sold in October 2021 for £18.5 million, underscoring the extraordinary commercial power of Banksy’s interventions and the appetite of the global collector base for his most iconic imagery.
Banksy Paintings For Sale
Banksy paintings for sale — unique spray-painted works on canvas or board — are the rarest and most valuable category of his output. These works, typically produced in small numbers for specific shows or commissions, carry full documentation from Pest Control and have appeared at auction with results ranging from six to eight figures. Choose Your Weapon, Monkey Parliament, and large-format stencil canvases from his early 2000s output represent the apex of private collector demand.
Provenance is paramount for Banksy paintings. Unbroken ownership history from first sale through to the present day, combined with a current Pest Control certificate, is the minimum standard for any serious acquisition. Works without this documentation carry substantial authentication risk regardless of visual appearance.
Banksy Prints: Signed vs Unsigned
Banksy print editions form the most accessible and widely traded category of his market. Published through his own distribution channels and in very limited numbers, these screenprints exist in signed and unsigned variants — a distinction that has a significant impact on value. Signed editions — with Banksy’s hand signature — command multiples of two to five times comparable unsigned editions in the same print run.
Key print series sought by collectors include: Girl with Balloon (multiple colourways), Choose Your Weapon, Kate Moss, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Radar Rat, Flower Thrower, and Di-Faced Tenners. Edition sizes vary from as few as 150 to several hundred, and sell-through rates at auction confirm strong secondary demand across all major series.
Banksy Authentication: Pest Control
Pest Control is Banksy’s official authentication body and the only organisation authorised to certify works as genuine. When you buy Banksy prints or original art, a current Pest Control Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is the non-negotiable standard. The COA features a torn currency note — half retained by Pest Control, half with the work — as a security measure, and is registered against a specific edition and owner.
At Guy Hepner Gallery, every Banksy work offered for sale is accompanied by Pest Control documentation. We do not offer works without verified authentication, and our team is available to guide collectors through the acquisition process, including condition reporting, framing recommendations, and insurance valuation.
Ready to buy Banksy art? Contact Guy Hepner to explore our current inventory of authenticated Banksy prints and original works.