Summary
A flat, single-can portrait of a "Tesco Value Cream of Tomato Soup, 400g" tin rendered in clean blue-and-white supermarket livery against a pale cream ground. It is Banksy's deadpan British answer to Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, swapping American brand aspiration for the UK's cheapest no-frills budget label.
Why It Matters
Where Warhol celebrated the gleaming abundance of post-war American consumerism, Banksy reaches for the most downmarket product on a British shelf: the Tesco Value range, a brand engineered to signal cheapness. By appropriating Pop art's most famous gesture and pointing it at supermarket austerity, the print skewers both consumer culture and the art market that turned soup cans into blue-chip commodities. It is one of Banksy's most direct, legible art-historical jokes and a cornerstone image of his Capitalism and Consumerism theme.
Collector Perspective
A hand-signed edition of 50 puts this among the scarcer Banksy soup-can configurations, which were issued by Pictures on Walls in several colourways and in both signed and unsigned states. The signed/50 format carries a clear premium over the larger unsigned runs, and POW provenance with a corresponding Pest Control certificate is essential for resale at this level. Demand is steady because the image is instantly recognizable and reads as a pure Banksy concept; condition (the broad cream field shows handling and toning easily) and authentication documentation are the main value drivers.
Historical Context
Produced in 2005 during Banksy's most prolific stencil-and-screenprint period, when Pictures on Walls was releasing the editions that built his secondary market. The work directly references Andy Warhol's 1962 Campbell's Soup Cans, transposing the idea onto Tesco Value, the deliberately plain budget sub-brand British shoppers associated with thrift. It sits alongside other consumer-brand send-ups from the era and predates Banksy's later large-scale consumerist statements such as Gross Domestic Product.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
A single tin of Tesco Value Cream of Tomato Soup (400g) in blue-and-white supermarket packaging on a cream background, a British budget-brand riff on Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans.
What is the edition size?
This signed version is an edition of 50. Banksy issued the soup can in several colourways and in both signed and unsigned states; the unsigned runs are larger.
Is this print signed?
Yes. This is the hand-signed version, which commands a premium over the unsigned editions and should be accompanied by a Pest Control certificate of authenticity.
What medium and year is it?
A screen print from 2005, published during Banksy's Pictures on Walls period.
Who is Banksy?
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 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.