Summary
A Warhol-styled Pop portrait of supermodel Kate Moss rendered as a Marilyn-esque icon: lilac-toned face, orange-blonde tousled hair, turquoise eyeshadow and red lips set against a flat gold/khaki ground. Part of Banksy's "Kate Moss" series, it is one of his most overtly Pop, celebrity-driven images and a deliberate riff on Warhol's 1967 "Marilyn."
Why It Matters
"Kate" is Banksy's most direct engagement with Andy Warhol and the machinery of celebrity. By dropping Kate Moss into Warhol's exact Marilyn template, Banksy collapses two eras of fame manufacture and comments on how the media reproduces and consumes a face until the person disappears into branding. It sits slightly apart from his rats-and-riot-police political work, showing his fluency in art-historical appropriation and his willingness to mine Pop Art's own critique of mass image-making. The series remains one of the defining "screen-print celebrity" works of the mid-2000s street-art-to-gallery crossover.
Collector Perspective
This is the gold/apricot colourway from the screen-printed "Kate" series, in an edition of 70 from 2005. The smaller, hand-pulled colour variants like this one are scarcer than the larger standard "Kate Moss" runs and trade at a premium when signed. Provenance and condition drive value: signed examples with intact margins and no light-staining command the strongest prices, while the gold ground can show handling marks readily. As with all Banksy screen prints, a clear chain of ownership and, ideally, authentication paperwork (Pest Control where applicable) materially affects desirability. A recognisable, wall-friendly image that holds steady collector demand rather than relying on novelty.
Historical Context
Made in 2005, during Banksy's Stencil Boom Era when he was transitioning from street walls to a booming print market (many editions issued via Pictures on Walls). Kate Moss was then one of the most photographed and most scrutinised figures in British media, making her an apt stand-in for the Warhol celebrity machine. The work explicitly references Andy Warhol's 1967 "Marilyn Monroe" silkscreens, transplanting the supermodel into the same garish, repeatable Pop format to comment on fame as a manufactured, reproducible commodity.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
It shows supermodel Kate Moss as a Warhol-style Pop icon — lilac face, orange-blonde hair, turquoise eyeshadow and red lips on a flat gold/apricot background — directly echoing Andy Warhol's 1967 Marilyn Monroe silkscreens.
What is the edition size?
This gold/apricot colourway was produced in an edition of 70 in 2005.
What medium is it?
It is a hand-pulled screen print (silkscreen) on paper.
Is it signed?
The series exists in both signed and unsigned forms; signed examples are scarcer and command a premium. Confirm signature and any accompanying authentication before purchase.
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-establishment imagery, with many editions 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.