Summary
"Because I'm Worthless" depicts one of Banksy's signature stenciled rats standing upright, holding aloft a protest placard scrawled with the red hand-lettered slogan "BECAUSE I'M WORTHLESS" while wearing a CND peace-symbol pendant around its neck. It is a quintessential example of Banksy's rat motif from his most prolific stencil period, casting his recurring street-vermin everyman as a self-deprecating protester.
Why It Matters
The rat is Banksy's most enduring alter-ego, an anagram of "art" and a symbol of the urban underclass that thrives unwanted and ignored in the city's margins. By arming this rat with a placard reading "Because I'm Worthless," Banksy fuses anti-establishment protest imagery with bleak self-mockery, turning the act of demonstration into a comment on feeling powerless and disposable within a consumer society. The CND peace symbol explicitly ties the figure to anti-war and protest culture, making the print a compact statement of the disenfranchised dissent that runs through Banksy's early work.
Collector Perspective
This is the unsigned variant from an edition of 50, published during Banksy's Pictures on Walls (POW) era. Within Banksy's catalogue, an edition of 50 is small, but the print exists in both signed and unsigned forms, and the unsigned version sits well below signed examples in value because signed Banksy prints command a substantial premium and stronger collector demand. For buyers, condition, intact margins, and a credible Pest Control certificate are the key value drivers; without authentication, unsigned Banksy works carry meaningful provenance risk. As an entry point into an iconic Banksy rat image, the unsigned edition offers the recognizable imagery at a lower tier than its signed counterpart.
Historical Context
Produced in 2004, during what is often called Banksy's Stencil Boom era, the print belongs to the prolific run of rat-themed works he issued as his street reputation crossed into the gallery and print market. The rat had been a fixture of his Bristol and London street stencils since the early 2000s, and prints like this one translated that vocabulary into editioned form through Pictures on Walls. The placard-bearing, peace-badge-wearing rat connects directly to the protest and anti-war sentiment prevalent in Banksy's mid-2000s output.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
An upright stenciled rat holding a protest placard hand-lettered in red with the slogan 'BECAUSE I'M WORTHLESS,' wearing a CND peace-symbol pendant around its neck.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 50.
Is this print signed?
No. This is the unsigned variant. Banksy issued the image in both signed and unsigned forms, and the unsigned version typically trades below signed examples.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print (silkscreen).
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from Bristol in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark humour, and anti-war, anti-capitalist, and anti-establishment imagery, with recurring motifs including rats, monkeys, and riot police.
About the Artist
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose identity remains officially unconfirmed. Emerging from the Bristol underground scene in the early 1990s, he developed a fast, stencil-based technique for working in public space, pairing dark humour with anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment messages. Recurring motifs include rats, monkeys, riot police, and children with balloons or weapons. Many of his prints were published through Pictures on Walls and rank among the most heavily traded in the secondary market, while stunts such as the self-shredding Girl with Balloon, the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and the Gross Domestic Product homeware line have made him one of the most recognised artists in the world.
Collecting Banksy at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Banksy prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Banksy prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Banksy prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Banksy and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.