Banksy sells his stencil to save Reading prison where Oscar Wilde was incarcerated

Famed street artist Banksy plans to sell the stencil he used for one of his works to turn the prison where Oscar Wilde was incarcerated into an art center.

The Reading Gaol, that’s the name of the prison, was closed in December 2013 by the Ministry of Justice and was then put on the market: for sale from 2019 and if a better offer is not found it could be turned into a residential center with apartments. In March 2021 Banksy created a mural on the very wall of this prison depicting a prisoner in typical striped prison garb as he rappels down a “rope” of knotted sheets ending in a typewriter. A tribute to Oscar Wilde, who was put in prison for his scandalous affair with Lord Alfred Douglas: the writer composed The Ballad of Reading Gaol after his release from prison in 1897, while staying at Berneval-le-Grand in France.

From the sale of the stencil he used to create the Create Escape mural, the street artist could make more than $13 million with which he plans to support the purchase of the historic building. The stencil is on display today at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

Reading Borough Council submitted a $3.4 million proposal, which the DOJ rejected. “Our bid remains firmly on the table and has broad support, both within the Reading community and from the arts, heritage and broader cultural community,” said Jason Brock, Reading Borough Council leader.

The goal of Reading Borough Council, which has also been joined by artists and most recently Banksy, would be to make the prison building a center for the arts. “The deadline for bids has expired and we are currently evaluating the ones we have received,” the Ministry of Justice announced.

All that remains is to wait for the decision.

Banksy sells his stencil to save Reading prison where Oscar Wilde was incarcerated

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