Summary
A 5x5 grid of twenty-five identical canned-soup labels rendered as cheap "Tesco Value" tomato soup tins rather than Campbell's, this is Banksy's direct send-up of Andy Warhol's 1962 Campbell's Soup Cans. Where Warhol elevated American supermarket branding into Pop art, Banksy swaps in a British discount-store own-brand, turning the gesture into a sharper jab at budget consumerism and the commodification of art itself.
Why It Matters
Soup Can is one of Banksy's most legible art-historical commentaries. By replacing Campbell's with Tesco Value, the cheapest no-frills line of Britain's dominant supermarket, he collapses two targets at once: the consumer economy that sells identical mass product to the poor, and the art market that turned Warhol's reproduction of that product into a multimillion-dollar commodity. The repetition of twenty-five identical cans mimics Warhol's deadpan seriality while the downmarket British branding injects Banksy's characteristic class politics and dark humour. It is a knowing, self-aware piece that simultaneously parodies Pop art and participates in it.
Collector Perspective
This is the 2006 First Edition offset print in an edition of 84, making it one of the scarcer of the several Soup Can colourways and editions Banksy produced in this period (later and larger signed/unsigned screen-print runs in various colour combinations also exist and are more commonly traded). As an offset lithographic poster rather than a hand-pulled screen print, and as described here without a stated signature, it sits at a more accessible entry point than the signed POW screen prints, but the small edition of 84 gives it genuine scarcity within the Soup Can family. Condition is critical for offset posters of this era; trimming, handling creases, and tape residue meaningfully affect value. Buyers should confirm edition specifics, signature status, and provenance documentation, as the Soup Can series spans multiple versions that are easily conflated.
Historical Context
Produced in 2006 during Banksy's Stencil Boom Era, when his market profile was rising sharply on the back of shows like Barely Legal in Los Angeles, Soup Can references Andy Warhol's landmark 1962 Campbell's Soup Cans, a foundational work of American Pop art. Banksy's substitution of Tesco Value, launched in 1993 as the supermarket's bargain-basement own brand, localises the critique to Britain and to the era's discount-retail culture. The work belongs to a run of Banksy pieces that explicitly riff on canonical art history to comment on consumerism and the art establishment.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A 5x5 grid of twenty-five identical 'Tesco Value' tomato soup cans, parodying Andy Warhol's 1962 Campbell's Soup Cans by swapping the American brand for Britain's cheapest supermarket own-label.
How large is the edition?
This 2006 First Edition was produced in an edition of 84.
Is it signed?
This is the First Edition offset and is catalogued here without a stated signature; signed examples exist within the broader Soup Can series, so buyers should confirm signature status and request provenance before purchase.
What medium is it?
It is an offset lithographic print (poster), not a hand-pulled screen print.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is the anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from Bristol in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark humour, and anti-capitalist and anti-establishment imagery, with many prints published through Pictures on Walls.
Why Tesco Value instead of Campbell's?
The swap turns Warhol's celebration of American consumer branding into a pointed comment on British discount-retail culture, class, and the commodification of art itself.
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.