Name: Welcome To Hell (red)
Brand: Banksy
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Banksy's Welcome To Hell (red) (2004) is estimated to be worth between £10,000 and £20,000. This screenprint has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. This work is somewhat rare, having been sold 9 times at auction since its initial sale on 12th October 2016. In the last 12 months, the average selling price was £14,903 across 3 sales. Over the past five years, the hammer price has ranged from £9,000 in December 2024 to £38,236 in December 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 175.

Meaning & Analysis

Banksy's coveted Welcome To Hell (2004) screen-print, part of the Placard Rat series, is from an unsigned edition of 175. Banksy’s rebel rat wears a peace sign necklace, and holds up a sign with the titular message, conveying the idea that protest can take many forms.

Welcome to Hell (Placard Rat) is an original, limited edition screen print by Banksy. The print features a monochromatic stencil rendering of a rat, which is one of Banksy’s most famous motifs, wearing a necklace with a peace sign and holding a placard that has been sprayed with red paint reading ‘Welcome to Hell’.

There can be many possible contextual interpretations for this print, such as a general anti-violence statement that is in line with Banksy’s adamant rhetoric, or a commentary on urban gang culture and thus a call for peace. The red peace symbol appears across the artist’s oeuvre, including in the artwork CND Soldiers, depicting a couple of soldiers in full gear painting the striking sign onto the backdrop behind them. Banksy often creates monochrome prints with only a splash of colour in order to highlight the central element or message of the piece.

The Banksy artwork Welcome to Hell (Placard Rat) was released alongside Because I’m Worthless and Get Out While You Can. The print came out in 2004, and there were 175 unsigned prints (with a mixture of pink and red lettering). Other famous Rat prints by Banksy include Radar Rat and Gangsta Rat.

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.