Summary
Love Is In The Air (also known as the Flower Thrower) shows a masked male protester in a baseball cap and bandana, captured mid-throw in the classic riot-stance with his arm cocked back — but instead of a Molotov cocktail or a rock, his hand grips a bright bouquet of flowers. Rendered in Banksy's signature stark red-and-black stencil palette, it is one of the most recognizable images in his entire body of work and a defining example of his peace-through-subversion message.
Why It Matters
The image takes the visual language of street conflict — the hooded thrower frozen in the pose of someone hurling a petrol bomb at police — and replaces the weapon with a bunch of flowers, turning an emblem of violence into an emblem of hope and protest. First painted as a mural on a wall in the West Bank near Bethlehem, it became Banksy's most enduring anti-war statement and one of the most reproduced protest images of the 21st century. The single substitution does all the work: it is instantly legible, emotionally disarming, and politically pointed, which is exactly why it has been adopted globally as shorthand for non-violent resistance.
Collector Perspective
This is the unsigned variant of the 2003 screen print, from an edition of only 51 unsigned impressions — a small run, but the unsigned status places it a clear tier below the signed edition in both price and demand, since serious collectors prize Banksy's signature and the Pictures on Walls / Pest Control paper trail. As one of Banksy's most iconic and sought-after compositions, even the unsigned Flower Thrower carries strong recognition and liquidity, but buyers should treat authentication and provenance documentation as essential and expect a meaningful discount relative to a signed example. Condition (the red ink is prone to fading and the white margins to handling marks) materially affects value.
Historical Context
Created in 2003 during Banksy's Stencil Boom Era, Love Is In The Air originated as a stencilled mural on the Israeli-controlled side of the West Bank, part of the same period in which Banksy was working on the separation barrier and developing his Bethlehem imagery. The print edition followed through Pictures on Walls, the artist-run publisher behind most of Banksy's early prints. The work sits squarely within his anti-war, anti-establishment output of the early 2000s, and the masked thrower with bouquet has since been endlessly referenced, parodied, and merchandised — including being chosen as the cover image for Banksy's own catalogue of works.
FAQ
What does Love Is In The Air depict?
A masked protester in a cap and bandana, frozen in the classic riot pose of hurling a Molotov cocktail — but his throwing hand holds a colorful bunch of flowers instead of a weapon. It is also widely known as the Flower Thrower.
How large is the edition?
This unsigned edition is limited to 51 impressions. There is also a separate signed edition, which is the more sought-after and higher-priced of the two.
Is this print signed by Banksy?
No. This is the unsigned variant. It does not carry Banksy's hand signature, which places it below the signed edition in value and collector demand even though the image is identical.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print (silkscreen), produced in 2003 and published through Pictures on Walls, the artist-run press behind most early Banksy editions.
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.
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.