Lithograph, heavyweight vellum paper, 50 x 35 cm (composition), 70 x 50 cm (sheet), limited edition, numbered in pencil 143/150, hand-signed in pencil under composition BUNKSY, publisher's dry stamps: p.d." P.O.W. PRINTMAKING", l.d. graphic mark l.d., hologram "verification of authenticity" on back.
"Smiling Grim Reaper" (English: "Grim Reaper" or "Smiling Grim Reaper") is one of the more famousworks by Banksy, the enigmatic British street art artist. Banksy, known for hisoften politically andsociallyengagedworks, created this work toaddress the subject of death and itsinevitability.
"TheSmiling Reaper" depicts theclassic figure ofthereaper - thepersonification of death - but with Banksy's signature twist. Thefigure of death is wearing a hood and holding ascythe, but hasa wide, exaggeratedsmile on his face,reminiscentof thepopularemoticon. The reaperis sitting on a clock, whichmaysymbolizethe passage of time and theinevitability of death.
The traditional symbolism of the reaperrefers to death as theend of life. The clock under thefigureof the reapermaysymbolizethat timewillone dayrun out foreveryone.The exaggerated,almostgrotesquesmile on the reaper's face contrasts with his dark image.It couldbe a commentary on howsocietyoften trivializesserious issues or how humorcanbe a way of dealing withthe fear ofdeath.
Banksy's works, despite his status as a street art artist, often find their way into museums and exhibitions alike. Banksy remains enigmatic and controversial, which adds to theappealofhisworks.
Banksy's workscan beseenin, among other places: Bristol Museum & Art Gallery** in the UK, Moco Museum in Amsterdam, and in Barcelona, where Banksy' s work is on permanent display. The Moco Museum is known for exhibiting contemporary artists and street art. Banksy has held several exhibitions of his own, such as the famous "Barely Legal" in Los Angeles in 2006 and the "Dismaland" exhibition held in 2015 in Weston-super-Mare, which was a dark amusement park created by Banksy that attracted hugepublicinterest.Banksy's worksoftenappear at auctions, organized by auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's.
Some of Banksy's works, originally created on the streets, have been removed and moved to galleries or private collections, sparking controversy and discussions about the commercialization of street art.
