I Fought The Law
I Fought The Law
Unsigned Print
Banksy
£11,000-£16,000Value Indicator
$23,000-$35,000 Value Indicator
$20,000-$30,000 Value Indicator
¥110,000-¥160,000 Value Indicator
€13,000-€19,000 Value Indicator
$120,000-$170,000 Value Indicator
¥2,190,000-¥3,180,000 Value Indicator
$15,000-$22,000 Value Indicator
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70 x 70cm, Edition of 500, Screenprint
Medium: Screenprint
Edition size: 500
Year: 2004
Size: H 70cm x W 70cm
Signed: No
Format: Unsigned Print
Last Auction: April 2025
Value Trend:
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
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Meaning & Analysis
In 2004, Banksy created I Fought The Law, a screen print from an unsigned edition of 500. Based on footage of the failed attempt on Reagan's life, Banksy’s print replaces the assassin’s gun with a paintbrush, which he has used in graffitiing an altered song title by The Clash.
I Fought The Law shows a photo-realistic black and white stencil figure of a man being pinned down by three other men, while a man in the foreground drinks what appears to be a bottle of beer. The man being pinned down by the group has just dropped a paintbrush covered in orange paint, with which he has graffitied ‘I Fought The Law And I Won’, on the wall behind them. The writing on the wall is a play on the infamous Clash song, ‘I Fought The Law and The Law Won.’
By subverting this phrase, Banksy makes a statement on how those who rise above the law and fight protocol are invariably knocked down by the jeering masses. Alternatively, it could be seen that, despite getting caught, the graffiti artist had already won – by writing on the wall, he had succeeded in getting his message out there despite what happened next. The positioning of the men in the image is a reversal of photographs capturing the assassination attempt of Ronald Reagan.
Renowned British street artist, Banksy, is the enigmatic figure behind some of the most subversive works in the Urban Art scene. Despite his anonymity, the artists' disruptive stunts have not only gained him notoriety, but they have vocalised his stance on many social and political issues. As seen with the likes of Girl With Balloon and Napalm, Banksy uses his distinctive stencil technique to produce thought-provoking commentaries on challenging themes. The showcase of rebellion that lines his work has caused his secondary market value to soar in recent years, propelling him to the top of the Urban Art scene.
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