“The bad artists imitate. The great artists steal.”
This famous quote attributed to Picasso refers to the fact that throughout art history, artists have found their inspiration in the work of their predecessors. Pablo Picasso was obsessed with a famous painting by Eugène Delacroix entitled Women of Algiers. Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat all referred to art history within their practice — they used it to guide their work.
Banksy is certainly no exception. His work makes extensive reference to art history, but of course always with a twist. Going through some of Banksy’s works — whether murals, prints or originals — is a fun way to learn more about art history. We will regularly publish editorials analyzing the links between masterworks and the versions Banksy makes of them.
