Summary
Banksy's HMV reworks the famous "His Master's Voice" trademark — the obedient terrier Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone — by replacing the dog's docile pose with a bazooka aimed straight at the horn. Rendered in stark black-and-white stencil, it is a signature early-2000s image in which Banksy hijacks a beloved corporate logo and turns it into an act of refusal.
Why It Matters
The print compresses Banksy's core method into one image: take an instantly recognizable commercial icon and weaponize it, literally. By arming Nipper — the very symbol of loyal obedience to "his master's voice" — Banksy flips a corporate emblem into a parable about consumers turning on the brands and authority that command them. It lands squarely in his anti-capitalist, anti-establishment register, and its economy of means (two silhouettes, a single visual gag) shows why his stencil work read so cleanly on the street and on paper alike.
Collector Perspective
HMV is a recognized image from Banksy's 2003 Pictures on Walls (POW) period, and this is the unsigned edition — the more accessible tier versus the smaller signed run, which carries the premium and the strongest authentication paper trail. Unsigned examples trade actively but sit well below signed equivalents; condition (the wide white margins shown here are prone to handling marks and toning) and a Pest Control certificate are the decisive value factors. As an early, on-brand, instantly readable Banksy with a strong logo-subversion hook, demand is durable even at the unsigned level.
Historical Context
The work appropriates the HMV (His Master's Voice) logo, itself derived from Francis Barraud's 1898–99 painting of the dog Nipper at a phonograph, long one of the most famous trademarks in recorded music and retail. Made in 2003 during Banksy's stencil-boom ascent — the same window as his Pictures on Walls prints and gallery shows that pushed street stencilling into the mainstream — it belongs to a run of images in which he detourned mass-culture brands. The choice of HMV, then a dominant high-street music chain, gives the consumer-revolt joke an extra retail edge.
FAQ
What does Banksy's HMV depict?
It reworks the HMV "His Master's Voice" logo: the dog Nipper, instead of obediently listening to the gramophone, points a bazooka/rocket launcher at the horn — a consumer turning on the brand he's meant to serve.
Is this print signed or unsigned?
This is the unsigned edition. Banksy issued HMV in both signed and unsigned versions; signed examples are scarcer and command a higher price.
What is the edition size?
The exact edition size is not confirmed here. It was published in the early 2000s through Pictures on Walls (POW); buyers should rely on a Pest Control certificate rather than an assumed number.
What medium is it?
A screen print in black and white on paper, true to Banksy's flat, high-contrast stencil aesthetic.
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-war, anti-capitalist, and anti-establishment imagery, with prints published via 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.