Sale
Ends

Banksy’s 2006 print Sale Ends juxtaposes classical religious imagery with symbols of capitalism in the artist's typically satirical style.

Imbued with a sense of the artist’s characteristic wit, the work shows a group of four cloaked women; brought to life in Banksy’s textbook, black-and-white stencil style, the figures are set against a white background. Prostrated in front of the sign, the women are reminiscent of the lamenting figures typically seen at the base of the crucifixion in Renaissance paintings. The difference? In his image, Banksy substitutes a cross for a bold red sign bearing the words 'SALE ENDS TODAY', written in large white capital letters. Evoking typical shop signs designed to catch people’s attention and make them buy products they don’t necessarily need, the work is an obvious critique of our materialistic society and reflects our almost religious devotion to consumerist culture.

Part of the Barely Legal series, this Banksy print was made as an edition of 100 unsigned work. It was put up for sale at Banksy's eponymous show, with a price tag of $500 apiece. Further prints in the series included Morons, Applause, Trolleys, Grannies and Festival; together, the set is considered to be one of the rarest collections of street art on the market. In 2007 Pictures on Walls re-released Sale Ends with an additional 150 signed Sale Ends prints.

When Pictures On Walls announced in 2017 they had ‘been taken over by venture anti-capitalists and will cease trading from 31st December 2017’, they held a closing down sale. During this, they released a few remaining print editions, as well as 400 Sale Ends prints, which were a reworking of the original 2006 version.