REMBRANDT, 2009

Exhibited

• Banksy vs. Bristol Museum, Bristol Museum, Bristol, 2009

Provenance

• Private Collection, Australia

Auction History

Catalogue Note

Banksy recreates Rembrandt’s well-known Self Portrait at the Age of 63 (1669) and covers the expressive eyes, perhaps what Rembrandt’s portraits are best known for, with googly eyes. This simple act undermines the painting itself and encourages the viewer to question the nature of art, creating a piece that is not only witty but visually very amusing. Poignantly, in this case Banksy has altered a work in a similar fashion to his graffiti on London’s buildings.

“If you want to survive as a graffiti writer when you go indoors your only option is to carry on painting over things that don’t belong to you.”

However, this practical joke is not without forethought. His appropriation of Rembrandt’s nationally beloved self-portrait invites the viewer to question why this act seems so audacious, why this painting is valued so highly and, foremost, what constitutes great art. As a street artist, Banksy is no stranger to graffiti being deemed ‘low art’ or even ‘vandalism’. Consequently, he aims to subvert what we consider ‘high art’ by taking a famous painting, catching the viewer’s interest with attention grabbing googly eyes and creating a piece that is entertaining, thought provoking and progressive.

Banksy’s work is brave, confrontational and unapologetic; he ignores the conventions of art and dares to make his own rules. The present artworks is characteristic of his style and illustrates the artist’s masterful use of humor as a means of arousing further contemplation.

Additionally, the work harks back to previous appropriations of masterpieces, such as Marcel Duchamp’s L.H.O.O.Q. which also mischievously used comedy to remark on the art world from within it. The elusive Banksy’s work is assertive and challenging whilst simultaneously playful and unabashed, always carrying his moralistic message.