A part of Banksy’s iconic Rat series, Love Rat was released in 2004 as a limited edition screen print series of 150 signed and 600 unsigned prints along with Gangsta Rat and Radar Rat. The artwork first appeared as a mural in Liverpool.
Love Rat features Banksy’s signature graffiti stencilled rat character, which can be interpreted both as the symbol of the average man
or the working class, as well as a tribute to the ‘grandfather of graffiti’, French street artist Blek Le Rat. The image depicts a rat holding a paintbrush with a bright red heart painted onto the background behind it. This print is a prime example of Banksy’s more heartfelt, innocent works, where the street artist uses simple symbolism to stress the purity and importance of love. The Rat series remains amongst Banksy’s most desirable works on the market, coveted by collectors and investors alike.
