Share on twitter
Share on facebook
Share on pinterest
Share on email

Nola, 2008

BY
Nola (White Rain), 2008
Edition: 289 signed
 

‘Some of the things that are supposed to protect us, can also harm us.’

 

Nola portrays a young girl in black and white, in a dress beneath a black umbrella, holding one hand out and feeling the rain that is pouring down. The background is a block grey as white rain falls from the umbrella. Rendered in Banksy’s classic graffiti-spray-stencil style, this artwork that originally appeared as a mural on a wall in New Orleans.

 

This striking image of a girl being drenched by rain from inside of her umbrella is in reference to the devastating event of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which have been amplified by failure of the flood defenses that had been designed to protect the citizens from such a disaster. Naturally, an umbrella is designed to keep the individual using it dry and protected from the elements. The fact that the rain is falling not from the sky but instead from the inside of the umbrella is Banksy’s way of suggesting to the viewer that very things (or institutions) that were created and designed to protect us can, at times, do quite the opposite – a scathing indictment of FEMA and the government’s response to protect and help the people directly affected by Hurricane Katrina.

RELEASE HISTORY

Nola was released in late 2008 as a limited edition of 289 prints with White Rain. The edition size of 289 relates to the age of the city of New Orleans where this visual first appeared. During the initial on sale – they experienced technical difficulties whereby Pictures on Walls accidentally oversold the edition – leaving them with not enough prints to fill the orders they accepted. Shortly after the mishap, they created a Grey Rain edition of 63 prints, and offered the right of first refusal to those customers who didn’t get a White Rain edition due to the oversell.
Nola (Grey Rain), 2008
Edition: 63 signed
Two colorways have appeared since the print was originally released: 32 in Orange Rain and 31 in Yellow Rain, neither of which were offered to the public for sale.
Banksy also released a rare set of Nola Artist’s Proof editions of 66 that came in 6 unique variations of Multicolor Rain, reserved for VIP collectors. All Nola prints are signed and numbered by the artist.

DESCRIPTION

Nola

Year: 2008
Medium: Screen-print in colors on Arches wove paper
Size: 76×56 cm (30×22 inches)
Publisher: Pictures on Walls

Editions

Nola (White Rain): 289 signed
Nola (Grey Rain): 63 signed
Nola (Orange Rain): 32 signed
Nola (Yellow Rain): 31 signed
Artist’s Proofs Editions
Nola (Multicolor Rain): 66 signed AP
6 different colorways of various multicolor rain

Numbering and Signature

Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered in pencil, with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left

COLORWAYS

 

Nola (Orange Rain)

Nola (Orange Rain), 2008
Edition: 32 signed

Nola (Yellow Rain)

Nola (Yellow Rain), 2008
Edition: 31 signed

Nola (Multicolor Rain AP)

Nola (Green to Blue Rain), 2008
From the AP Edition of 66 signed prints

Nola (Green to Burgundy Rain), 2008
From the AP Edition of 66 signed prints

Nola (Pink to Yellow Rain), 2008
From the AP Edition of 66 signed prints

Nola (Green Rain), 2008
From the AP Edition of 66 signed prints

AUCTION RESULTS

Updated as of 1 August 2023

1. Nola (White Rain)

 

 

 

Sotheby’s London: 30 June 2022
GBP 88,200 / USD 108,486

Nola (White Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 94/289 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left

———-

Forum Auctions: 3 February 2022
GBP 116,580 / USD 159,715

Nola (White Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered /289 in pencil, lower left

———-

Heritage Auctions: 22 April 2021

GBP 116,906 / USD 162,500

Nola (White Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 238/289 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left

 

Christie’s online: 1 April 2021
GBP 150,000 / USD 207,000
Nola (White Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 54/289 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
 

2. Nola (Grey Rain)


Nola (Grey Rain) is the second largest edition of Nola Prints, made of 63 signed prints. It only sold 5 times at auction since 2008, including once in 2022, and twice in 2021.

Sotheby’s online: 26 April 2022
EUR 88,200 / USD 111,132

Sotheby’s Milan: 15 December 2021
EUR 119,700 / USD 134,766

Forum Auctions: 5 March 2021
GBP 174,200 / USD 242,138

 

Sotheby’s online: 26 April 2022
EUR 88,200 / USD 111,132

Nola (Grey Rain), 2008
Aside from the numbered edition of 63
Signed in pencil, lower right
Inscribed ‘M’ with a heart and peace symbol, lower left

Nola (Grey Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 48/63 in pencil, lower left
Sotheby’s Milan: 15 December 2021
EUR 119,700 / USD 134,766

 

3. Nola (Orange Rain)


Nola (Orange Rain) was released in 2008 as an edition of 32 signed prints. The numbered edition only sold four times at auction.
Sotheby’s online: 20 April 2023
GBP 107,950 / USD 134,380Forum Auctions: 22 February 2023
GBP 136,680 / USD 168,116
Sotheby’s online: 26 April 2022
GBP 189,000 / USD 238,140
Tate Ward Auction: 7 December 2021
GBP 237,500 / USD 318,250

 

 

Sotheby’s online: 20 April 2023
Estimated: GBP 80,000 – 120,000
GBP 107,950 / USD 134,380

Nola (Orange Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 14/32 in pencil, lower left

———-

Forum Auctions: 22 February 2023
Estimated: GBP 110,000 – 150,000
GBP 136,680 / USD 168,116

Nola (Orange Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered /32 in pencil, lower left with the publisher’s blindstamp

————

Sotheby’s online: 26 April 2022
GBP 189,000 / USD 238,140

Nola (Orange Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Inscribed ‘Thanks Josie ❤X’ in pencil, lower left
Aside from the numbered edition of 32

————

Tate Ward Auction: 7 December 2021
GBP 237,500 / USD 318,250

Nola (Orange Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 12/32 in pencil, lower left

 

4. Nola (Yellow Rain)

Nola (Yellow Rain) was released in 2008 as an edition of 31 signed prints. Nola (Yellow Rain), a print aside from the edition, sold at Christie’s online for the highest price ever paid at auction for a Nola print at GBP 375,000 (USD 517,500) on 1 April 2021.

Christie’s online: 14 March 2023
GBP 151,200 / USD 185,976

Tate Ward Auction: 7 December 2021
GBP 216,000 / USD 289,440

Christie’s online: 1 April 2021

GBP 375,000 / USD 517,500

Sotheby’s online: 19 September 2020

GBP 226,800 / USD 294,840

 

Christie’s Online: 14 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 120,000 – 180,000
GBP 151,200 / USD 185,976

NOLA (Green Rain), 2007
Signed in pencil lower right
Numbered 17/31 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left

———–

Tate Ward Auction: 7 December 2021
GBP 216,000 / USD 289,440

Nola (Yellow Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 23/31 in pencil, lower left

———–

Christie’s online: 1 April 2021

GBP 375,000 / USD 517,500

Nola (Yellow Rain), 2008
Signed in pink crayon, lower right
Inscribed and dedicated in pink crayon, lower left
————
Sotheby’s online: 19 September 2020

GBP 226,800 / USD 294,840

Nola (Yellow Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered 30/31 in pencil, lower left

 

5. Nola (Multicolor Rain AP)


Only 6 Nola Prints from this very rare edition of 66 signed APs in varying colorways of multi-color rain sold at auction since 2008.

 

Forum Auctions: 13 December 2022
GBP 147,400 / USD 182,400

Sotheby’s London: 30 June 2022
GBP 163,800 / USD 201,474

Christie’s London: 2 July 2021
GBP 218,750 / USD 303,000
Forum Auctions: 13 December 2022
Estimated: GBP 115,000 – 150,000
GBP 110,000 Hamner
GBP 147,400 / USD 182,400

Nola (Green/Blue AP), 2007
Signed and inscribed AP in pencil
One of 66 color variants AP

———-

Sotheby’s London: 30 June 2022
GBP 163,800 / USD 201,474

Nola (Green Rain AP), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Inscribed AP/05 in pencil, lower left
One of 66 Artist’s Proofs printed in various colorways

———–

Christie’s London: 2 July 2021
GBP 218,750 / USD 303,000

Nola (Blue to Green Rain), 2008
Signed in pencil, lower right
Numbered AP/26 in pencil, lower left
———–
Bonhams London: 18 December 2017
GBP 75,000 / USD 101, 293
Nola (Blue and Green Rain), 2004
Signed in blue crayon, lower right
Inscribed and numbered AP/01 in blue crayon, lower left
———–
Christie’s London: 18 September 2017
GBP 90,000
Nola (Pink and Yellow Rain), 2004
Signed in pink crayon, lower right
Inscribed with a peace symbol and a heart in pink crayon, lower left

Gallery

More like this