Love this matting and framing! Banksy pieces will always be collectible. This generation’s Andy Warhol.  

Year & Origin: The motif originated in 2002 as a large-scale commissioned mural (about 6 meters long, with the chimpanzee repeated 10 times) for the Ocean Rooms nightclub in Brighton, UK. It was later adapted into limited-edition screenprints in 2003.

•  Editions:

•  150 signed prints (numbered, e.g., /150, often more valuable).

•  600 unsigned prints.

•  69 artist’s proofs (APs).

•  Technical Specs: Screenprint in colors on wove paper, typically ~70 x 50 cm (sheet size around 693 x 494 mm). Published by Pictures on Walls, London.

Provenance & Authentication

Pest Control Office is Banksy’s official authentication body. They issue Certificates of Authenticity (often called “Pest Control certificates”) for genuine works. Many auction listings for “Laugh Now” prints explicitly mention accompanying Pest Control COAs, which significantly boosts provenance and market value.

If your print has one, it’s a strong indicator of authenticity. Banksy/Pest Control has warned about fakes circulating, especially around early 2000s works, so verification through them is standard for serious collectors.

Meaning & Cultural Impact

The piece is a witty, anarchic commentary on power dynamics, oppression, and potential rebellion—often interpreted as a metaphor for animals (or the underclass/marginalized) rising up, or a jab at human hubris. The chimpanzee looks dejected yet defiant. It’s one of Banksy’s most recognizable early images and ties into his recurring monkey motifs (e.g., in later works like chimpanzee-filled House of Commons scenes)

Title: Petrol Bomb

Artist: Banksy

Medium: Lithograph / screenprint

Era: Early 2000s (Banksy’s formative commercial print period)

A Molotov cocktail labeled “TESCO Value – PETROL BOMB – Highly Flammable.”

This is classic Banksy satire — combining:

• Consumerism (Tesco Value branding)

• Political violence (Molotov cocktail)

• Corporate mass production imagery

Interestingly, I bought this small, original stencil and spray paint canvas painting prior to the pandemic. However, it made even more sense to me after the pandemic. Keying off Edvard Munch’s famous painting “The Scream”, it captured the essence of what we all felt having to wear masks wherever we went. It’s still a little reminder of that crazy time in our lives. Munch’s painting is his most famous and interestingly, it has been stolen many, many times over the years. Much like the Mona Lisa, books can be written about how these incredible art heists took place!

I love how he cuts the canvas with a knife and the builds the image around the hole in the canvas. Stencils and spray paint make this one pop a bit. Love original paintings as they have so much more depth and texture compared to prints. He is reasonably affordable compared to some contemporary artists.

One of Banksy’s most famous prints, fondly known as LIITA, these signed versions skyrocket to $400,000 or so during the pandemic era. Much more reasonable now in the $100.000 range (but still super expensive). This is actually a good buy, to be fair to get a signed iconic image from one of the best and most prolific artists or our time.