The Barcode Leopard has become one of Banksy’s most renowned and sold works. It first appeared on the side of a house on Pembroke Road in Bristol. The stencil was quickly removed from the wall in August 2010 and unexpectedly resurfaced after four years on the occasion of a school exhibition in Somerset.

A lot of symbolism can be found in this minimalist image. The leopard is escaping his cage which is constructed as a barcode. These powerful images confront us with the idea of animal cruelty, how animals are treated as property, and how critically endangered species are condemned to become another item of mercantilism.

Animal rights are one of Banksy’s platforms and most predominant comments on his art.