Summary
A wide, sparse seaside scene rendered in Banksy's signature greyscale stencil over flat lime-green: a lone elderly woman with a walking cane sits on a park bench staring out at a wind-bent palm tree on a desolate green promenade. Produced for the 2004 "Weston-Super-Mare" series, it is one of Banksy's quietly melancholic takes on the faded English seaside town near his Bristol home, far removed from his louder protest imagery.
Why It Matters
The print captures Banksy turning his stencil vocabulary on something gentler and more personal than riot police or rats: the slow decline of a working-class British resort, and the loneliness of an old woman left behind by it. The bleak emptiness, the storm-blown palm, and the single seated figure read as a quiet social commentary on neglect, ageing, and the hollowing-out of seaside England, contrasting the postcard cliche of the palm tree with a bleak, windswept reality. It is a key example of Banksy's mid-2000s output, when his Bristol/West Country roots fed work that was observational and wry rather than overtly confrontational.
Collector Perspective
This is the lime green Artist Proof from a screen-print edition of only 35, making it markedly scarcer than Banksy's larger signed editions of 150 or 750. Artist Proofs sit outside the numbered run and are generally prized by collectors for their rarity, though buyers should confirm whether a given example is hand-signed or unsigned and insist on documentation, ideally a Pest Control certificate or solid Pictures on Walls-era provenance, since this is exactly the tier of work where authentication matters most. As a low-edition, period piece rather than an iconic image like Girl with Balloon, demand is real but thinner; condition (the cream paper shows easily) and verifiable provenance will drive value more than the image alone.
Historical Context
"Weston-Super-Mare" references the tired Somerset seaside town a short distance from Banksy's native Bristol, the same coastal stretch he would later commandeer in 2015 for his Dismaland "bemusement park" at the town's derelict Tropicana lido. Made in 2004, during Banksy's prolific Stencil Boom period and the era of Pictures on Walls print releases, the work belongs to a run depicting the resort with deadpan affection, here a marooned palm tree and a solitary pensioner standing in for the faded promise of the great British holiday.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
An elderly woman seated alone with a walking cane on a green park bench, looking out across an empty promenade toward a wind-bent palm tree, all rendered in Banksy's greyscale stencil style over a flat lime-green ground. It evokes a quiet, faded English seaside scene.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 35. This particular example is the lime green Artist Proof, which sits outside the numbered run and is generally considered scarcer.
Is it signed?
The title 'Weston-Super-Mare' appears in pencil with a hand mark at lower right, but signed versus unsigned status should be confirmed for the specific example, ideally with a Pest Control certificate or period provenance. Always verify before purchase.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print (silkscreen) on paper, produced in 2004 in the lime green colourway.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from the Bristol scene in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark humour, and anti-establishment imagery, with many prints published through Pictures on Walls.
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.