Banksy’s Rat with Umbrella is the working-class antihero we didn’t know we needed: suited up, briefcase in paw, trudging forward beneath a leaky heart. The rat, a recurring symbol in Banksy’s universe, embodies both survival and subversion. Here, it dons the uniform of corporate routine, but the makeshift umbrella, clearly no match for the red, dripping heart (?) in the corner, speaks to a deeper vulnerability.

The piece is at once humorous and melancholic: the rat is protected but still getting soaked. Is the heart a symbol of love, or the bleeding consequence of living in a world that undervalues compassion? Either way, this rodent is doing what all of us are: trying to keep it together in the rain of modern life. Banksy’s wit cuts gently but sharply, proving once again that rats are the truest reflection of ourselves.