About the work
Monkey Queen
An iconic example of Banksy’s unapologetic and often controversial humour, Monkey Queen was released in 2003 as an edition of 750 prints of which 150 are signed. The tongue-in-cheek image sees the Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait replaced by that of a monkey, rendered in Banksy’s spray-stencil-style. The ape is wearing Her Majesty’s crown and jewellery against a background reminiscent of the Union Jack in colours and pattern. However, the background is in fact a ‘target’ symbol referencing the 1960s British youth subculture of Mods.
The Monkey Queen painting originally appeared around 2004 at a youth centre’s club in Newent, called The Chill Out Zone. With this powerful yet comical image, Banksy is investigating the effect of the monarchy and British class-based society, in line with the street artist’s consistent critique of authorities and the establishment throughout his oeuvre. Using animals and specifically monkeys as symbols is a recurrent motif for the artist, appearing in the famous print Laugh Now from 2004, where the figure symbolises the common people.
An iconic example of Banksy’s unapologetic and often controversial humour, Monkey Queen was released in 2003 as an edition of 750 prints of which 150 are signed. The tongue-in-cheek image sees the Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait replaced by that of a monkey, rendered in Banksy’s spray-stencil-style. The ape is wearing Her Majesty’s crown and jewellery against a background reminiscent of the Union Jack in colours and pattern. However, the background is in fact a ‘target’ symbol referencing the 1960s British youth subculture of Mods.
The Monkey Queen painting originally appeared around 2004 at a youth centre’s club in Newent, called The Chill Out Zone. With this powerful yet comical image, Banksy is investigating the effect of the monarchy and British class-based society, in line with the street artist’s consistent critique of authorities and the establishment throughout his oeuvre. Using animals and specifically monkeys as symbols is a recurrent motif for the artist, appearing in the famous print Laugh Now from 2004, where the figure symbolises the common people.
