![Print, After the apocalypse, Blek Le Rat](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2233112_1_s.jpg)
by Blek Le Rat
Painting : acrylic
161.29 x 129.54 x 2.54 cm 63.5 x 51 x 1 inch
Second NOT DISPLAYED BLUR TEXT
Free returns within 14 days
Authenticity guaranteed
Learn moreSecure payment
About the artwork
Type
Unique work
Signature
Hand-signed by artist
Authenticity
Sold with certificate of Authenticity from the gallery
Invoice from the gallery
Medium
Painting: acrylic
Dimensions cm • inch
161.29 x 129.54 x 2.54 cm 63.5 x 51 x 1 inch Height x Width x Depth
Support
Framing
Not framed
About the seller
End To End Gallery • United States
Artsper seller since 2020
Vetted Seller
Top Seller
Imagine it at home
![Blek Le Rat, Homeless in Paris Blek Le Rat, Homeless in Paris](https://media.artsper.com/artwork/2179375_1_l.jpg)
Discover more by the artist
Works in prints from Blek Le Rat
Presentation
Blek le Rat (born Xavier Prou, 1952) was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and has been described as the "Father of stencil graffiti".
Xavier Prou was born in Boulogne-Billancourt in the western suburbs of Paris. Prou began his artwork in 1981, painting stencils of rats on the walls of Paris streets. He described the rat as "the only free animal in the city", and one which "spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art". His name originates from the comic book Blek le Roc, using "rat" as an anagram for "art".
Initially influenced by the early graffiti-art of New York City after a visit in 1971, he chose a style which he felt better suited Paris, due to the differing architecture of the two cities. He also recognised the influence of Canadian artist Richard Hambleton, who painted large-scale human figures in the 1980s. He is credited with inventing the life-sized stencil, and recognised as the first to transform stencil from basic lettering into pictoral art. His oldest preserved street art graffito, a 1991 replica of Caravaggio's Madonna di Loreta, which he dedicated to his future wife Sybille, was rediscovered behind posters on a house wall in Leipzig, Germany, in 2012.
French authorities identified Blek in 1991 when he was arrested while stencilling a replica of Caravaggio's Madonna and Child, with the connection to Blek and his artwork being made by police. From that point on, he has worked exclusively with pre-stenciled posters, citing the speedier application of the medium to walls, as well as lessened punishment should he be caught in the act.
He has had a great influence on today's graffiti-art and "guerilla-art" movements, the main motivation of his work being social consciousness and the desire to bring art to the people. Many of his pieces are pictorials of solitary individuals in opposition to larger, oppressive groups. He has also been noted for his series of images representing the homeless, begun in 2006, which depict them standing, sitting, or lying on sidewalks, in attempts to bring attention to what he views as a global problem.
British graffiti artist Banksy has acknowledged Blek's influence stating "every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek Le Rat has done it as well, only twenty years earlier." The two have expressed mutual desire for collaboration; in 2011, Blek was seen adding to a mural begun the previous year by Banksy in the Mission District, San Francisco.
Blek initially disagreed with those who claim Banksy has copied his work: "People say he copies me, but I don't think so. I'm the old man, he's the new kid, and if I'm an inspiration to an artist that good, I love it. I feel what he is doing in London is similar to the rock movement in the Sixties." More recently, however, in the documentary Graffiti Wars, Blek took a different tone, stating, "When I see Banksy making a man with a child or Banksy making rats, of course I see immediately where he takes the idea. I do feel angry. When you're an artist you use your own techniques. It's difficult to find a technique and style in art so when you have a style and you see someone else is taking it and reproducing it, you don't like that. I'm not sure about his integrity. Maybe he has to show his face now and show what kind of guy he is."
More works from End To End Gallery
Protect your purchase
We’re here to help you collect art securely. When you browse and buy on Artsper, you benefit from our guaranteed protections.
Buy works from the best galleries
We partner with the best art galleries. All sellers on Artsper have been carefully reviewed and approved by our team. All of our partner galleries respect our code of ethics.
Know what you’re getting
Each work on Artsper is studied and validated by our team before appearing online. Get personalized support Contemporary art specialists are available by phone and email to answer all of your questions about our works of art. Get personalized advice and curated suggestions for your collection.
Resell your artworks
As a private individual, you have the possibility to resell on Artsper your works acquired on Artsper. For more information click here.
Make an offer with Artsper
Negotiate prices
Price negotiation is possible. Like in a gallery, this allows you to open a discussion and purchase your works at your preferred price.
Get our help negotiating
Let our team handle the negotiations and get back to you once the best deal is made.
Order safely
Artsper’s satisfaction guarantee
With Artsper, you have the opportunity to return a work free of charge within 14 days of receipt if it does not suit you, for whatever reason. You will then receive a full refund for your order.
Protect your purchase with Artsper’s payment partners
All credit card payments are processed by Paybox, the trusted leader in payment processing for international businesses. Paybox ensures the highest level of security.
Get specialized support from Artsper in the event of a problem
On the rare occasion that a work of art arrives in a different condition than described, we will work to administer a return, refund, restoration or exchange for you. Our team will always keep you informed on the progress of your request and will go above and beyond to offer you personalized solutions.
To benefit from Artsper’s protections you must:
-
Place your order using one of Artsper's payment methods.
-
Report any issues to Artsper within one week of receiving your work.
-
Provide all requested photographic evidence of the problem (including the original artwork and packaging).
Artsper’s guarantee covers the following problems:
-
You receive a work that’s missing a described characteristic (such as a signature or a frame)
-
You receive a work with different characteristics than those described at the time of purchase
-
You receive a damaged piece of work
-
Your purchase is declared lost or damaged during transit
-
You receive a work that is a different in color than what you ordered
-
Your purchase is delayed
Artsper gives you access to the largest catalog of contemporary artworks, from the best galleries (200,000 works, 25,000 artists, 2,000 partner galleries).
We select the galleries with which we collaborate. This demanding selection, operated by our team of experts, offers you several guarantees:
- Double expertise regarding the quality and originality of the works. On the one hand by professional galleries that select their artists and works. On the other hand by Artsper which selects its partner galleries according to the quality of their catalog and their reputation.
- Access to the entire catalog of works from our partner galleries, sold at the same price as in the gallery.
- The possibility of returning purchased works (within 14 days) if they do not suit you, wherever you are in the world. Which is not the case outside Artsper.
- The possibility of easily reselling the work you purchased on Artsper.
We also facilitate the search for works according to your preferences thanks to our intelligent features such as:
- Your custom selection, created based on your tastes;
- Your custom universe, choose from our different universes the one that suits you and access selections of works!
Or simply thanks to our filters on the catalog allowing you to refine your searches.
Our customer service is also at your service and responds within the shortest time!
For some artworks, you can negotiate the price. If the price of the work is negotiable, you have a “Make an offer” button under the “Buy this work” one.
To submit your offer, you must make a payment of the desired amount. Your offer will then be forwarded to the gallery, which reserves the right to accept or reject it. If your offer is accepted, it means that your order is confirmed by the gallery and they will prepare the artwork for shipment. If your offer is rejected, you will be refunded the total amount paid automatically. The gallery can also propose a counter-offer for the acquisition of the artwork.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: [email protected].
Artsper delivers worldwide!
However, please note that once your order reaches its destination, it may be subject to VAT or other customs fees. These charges are beyond our control and you will be responsible for paying them (this is indicated at the ‘checkout’ first step).
Select the delivery address of your choice. Please make sure that someone is present to receive your order.
If your billing address is different to your delivery address you can specify this at the checkout.
You can return the artwork without needing to provide a reason or pay a penalty fee up to 14 days after receiving your order.
In the case that the right of withdrawal is exercised in the aforementioned time frame, the price of the artwork(s) purchased and the shipping costs will be reimbursed by us as soon as the gallery has received the artwork and notified us.
Artsper will manage the return of the work and will bear the cost of returns (which will either be paid by you and refunded by Artsper or directly paid by Artsper).
The artwork must be returned in perfect condition and in its original packaging (or equivalent).
The buyer exercises his right of withdrawal directly from MUMART, by sending an email to the address: [email protected].
If you have bought a painting, a sculpture or a work on paper, find expert advice on its conservation and how to best enhace it: