CND Soldiers, 2005
Editions: 350 signed, 350 unsigned
CND Soldiers depicts two soldiers, crouching on the ground and scouting the landscape around them. One is holding a machine gun, the other a paintbrush with which he is in the process of painting a red peace sign. This sign originally symbolized the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) of 1957 and is now widely known as an international symbol of peace. The satirical juxtaposition of armed soldiers alongside the iconic peace sign questions the role and impact of military in keeping the peace. The peace sign, painted in dripping red evokes the bloodshed of war. The soldiers, who act on behalf of the government, are now represented as activists and vandals, graffitiing the wall in protest.
Banksy, Wall and Piece, 2006
CND Soldiers is yet another artwork by Banksy which questions the grounds of authority, freedom and speech and highlights the media’s trivialization of warfare. This striking visual first appeared outside the Houses of Parliament in London during an anti-war protest led by Brian Haw, an English peace campaigner who lived for a decade in the Westminster peace camp. At the time the UK’s involvement in the 2003 Iraq war had been brought to light, and the fact that millions of people, including soldiers, protested against the invasion was reportedly ignored.
DESCRIPTION
CND Soldiers
Year: 2005
Medium: Screen-print in colors on wove paper
Size: 70×50 cm (27 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches)
Publisher: Pictures on Walls
Editions
Signed Edition: 350
Unsigned Edition: 350
AUCTION RESULTS
Updated as of 15 March 2023
1. CND Soldiers (unsigned)
CND Soldiers (unsigned), 2005
Numbered 288/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Bonhams London: 27 April 2022
GBP 25,500 / USD 32,130
CND Soldiers (unsigned), 2005
Numbered 189/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Phillips online: 30 July 2021
GBP 34,928 / USD 48,550
CND Soldiers (unsigned), 2005
Numbered 43/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Sotheby’s online: 18 March 2021
GBP 52,920 / USD 73,559
2. CND Soldiers (signed)
Bonhams New-York: 30 October 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 35,840
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 35,840
BANKSY (born 1974)
CND Soldiers, 2003
Screenprint in colors wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 131/350
Screenprint in colors wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 131/350
Tate Ward Auctions: 29 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 30,000 – 40,000
GBP 29,375 / USD 36,162
CND Soldiers (signed), 2005
Signed and dated in pencil, lower left
Numbered 72/350 in pencil, with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Heffel Fine Art: 28 April 2022
Estimated: CAD 40,000 – 60,000
CAD 109,250 / USD 85,145
BANKSY
CND Soldiers (signed), 2005
Screenprint in colors wove paper
CND Soldiers (signed), 2005
Screenprint in colors wove paper
Signed and dated in pencil, lower left
Numbered 79/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Numbered 79/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
CND Soldiers (signed), 2005
Signed and dated in pencil, lower left
Numbered 316/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Numbered 316/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Sotheby’s online: 26 April 2022
GBP 50,400 / USD 63,504
CND Soldiers (signed), 2005
Signed and dated in pencil, lower left
Numbered 77/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Numbered 77/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Artcurial: 5 July 2021
GBP 37,734 / USD 52,450
CND Soldiers (signed), 2005
Signed and dated in pencil, lower right
Numbered 37/350 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Sotheby’s online: 18 March 2021
GBP 69,300 / USD 96,327
