Gauntlet Gallery — Banksy Prints
Pulp Fiction (Signed)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
This screenprint replaces the pistols of Pulp Fiction's hitmen Jules and Vincent (Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta) with ripe yellow bananas, the two black-suited figures frozen mid-aim against a flat black ground in Banksy's signature high-contrast stencil. It is one of the most recognizable images of Banksy's Pictures on Walls era, distilling his habit of disarming pop-culture menace into comedy.
Collector notes: Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 50. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Pulp Fiction is a clean piece of visual satire: by swapping guns for bananas, Banksy strips two of cinema's most quoted gunmen of their threat, turning an icon of stylized violence into slapstick. It sits squarely within his anti-violence streak, where weapons are repeatedly defused, made absurd, or handed to children. The image also reflects his magpie approach to mass culture, lifting an instantly readable Hollywood frame and editing it just enough to flip its meaning. Banksy reportedly disliked how heavily the gun-and-banana gag was reproduced, which only cemented its status as a defining motif of his early printmaking.
Collector Perspective
The hand-signed Pulp Fiction is genuinely scarce: an edition of just 50 signed impressions makes it one of the smaller signed runs from this period, well below the larger unsigned and AP variants of the same image that circulate more freely. Pencil-signed examples carry a substantial premium over their unsigned counterparts and are among the more sought-after signed Banksy prints when condition and provenance are strong. Condition is the main value lever here, the white margins and black field both show handling, toning, and ink scuffs readily.
Historical Context
Released in 2004 through Pictures on Walls during Banksy's Stencil Boom era, the print appropriates the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film poster and its central image of Jules and Vincent. The gun-to-banana substitution belongs to a recurring early-2000s Banksy gag (he also produced the reverse, banana-to-gun, versions), made at the moment his gallery-edition prints were beginning to find a serious collector audience. The image predates his later mega-stunts but is from the body of work that built that reputation.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2004
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print.
- Edition details
- Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 50.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Banksy's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: Released in 2004 through Pictures on Walls during Banksy's Stencil Boom era, the print appropriates the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film poster and its central image of Jules and Vincent. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2004.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to the release source named in the saved record. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Banksy — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Banksy (Q133600) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What does this Banksy print depict?
It recreates the Pulp Fiction movie image of hitmen Jules and Vincent (Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta) in black suits, firing stance and all, but with their handguns replaced by yellow bananas, set against a flat black background.
How large is the edition?
The signed edition is 50. Larger unsigned editions and artist proofs of the same image also exist, which makes this hand-signed run comparatively scarce.
Is this example signed?
Yes. This is the signed version, hand-signed in pencil by Banksy, which carries a significant premium over the unsigned edition.
What medium and year is it?
It is a screenprint from 2004, published by Pictures on Walls during Banksy's Stencil Boom era.
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-establishment imagery, and for stunts like the self-shredding Girl with Balloon.
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