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Laugh Now - Unsigned Print by Banksy 2003 - MyArtBroker

Laugh Now
Unsigned Print

Banksy

£17,000-£26,000Value Indicator

$35,000-$50,000 Value Indicator

$30,000-$45,000 Value Indicator

¥160,000-¥240,000 Value Indicator

21,000-30,000 Value Indicator

$170,000-$260,000 Value Indicator

¥3,220,000-¥4,920,000 Value Indicator

$21,000-$35,000 Value Indicator

-2% AAGR

AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.

There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.

Medium: Screenprint

Edition size: 600

Year: 2003

Size: H 70cm x W 50cm

Signed: No

Format: Unsigned Print

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1 for sale
118 in network
80 want this
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Track auction value trend

The value of Banksy's Laugh Now (unsigned) is estimated to be worth between £17,000 and £25,000. This screenprint, created in 2003, has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. This work has an auction history of 78 total sales since its entry to the market in October 2008. In the past 12 months, the average selling price was £15,333, across 6 sales. Over the last five years, the hammer price has ranged from £13,000 in December 2024 to £67,593 in November 2020. The average annual growth rate of this work is 4%. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 600.

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Auction Results

Auction DateAuction HouseLocation
Hammer Price
Return to Seller
Buyer Paid
December 2024Great Western Auctions United Kingdom
September 2024Sotheby's Online United Kingdom
April 2024Forum Auctions London United Kingdom
April 2024Rosebery's Fine Art Auctioneers United Kingdom
September 2023Lama United States
September 2023Sotheby's London United Kingdom
June 2023Bonhams Knightsbridge United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

‘Laugh Now But One Day We’ll Be In Charge’, reads the sandwich board worn by the slightly ominous monkey replicated against a striking red background in this 1998 Banksy original, which first appeared in a Brighton nightclub in 2002 before going onto being released as a print the following year.

Much like with Banksy’s visual vocabulary in general, there can be various interpretations for the monkey figure in this work. It can be viewed as a representation of the oppressed, who walk the streets until they’re exhausted in order to spread their message. Such sandwich boards are usually associated with “prophets of doom”, preaching the looming apocalypse on the streets. Or perhaps it is simply a monkey, by which Banksy is commenting on how man has enslaved animals for centuries, including our distant primate relatives, much like he does in the work Barcode with a leopard. It could also be a symbol for the common man of the working class, who is exploited, exhausted and enslaved by capitalism, themes that Banksy regularly revisits through a range of various characters such as a rat in other famous prints like Love Rat and Gangsta Rat.

  • Renowned British street artist, Banksy, is the enigmatic figure behind some of the most subversive works in the Urban Art scene. Despite his anonymity, the artists' disruptive stunts have not only gained him notoriety, but they have vocalised his stance on many social and political issues. As seen with the likes of Girl With Balloon and Napalm, Banksy uses his distinctive stencil technique to produce thought-provoking commentaries on challenging themes. The showcase of rebellion that lines his work has caused his secondary market value to soar in recent years, propelling him to the top of the Urban Art scene.