Britain Picks Favourites

08 Mar 2025

Q.
With museums full of glorious art, it’s interesting to see how nations come together in nominating their favourites. What say you, Britain?

In 2017, BBC reported out on a poll of 2000 Brits. The topic? Favourite British artworks from a list compiled by art experts. And which pick was most popular? The quickly recognizable ‘Girl with Balloon’ created by Banksy – the mystery street artist from Bristol.

In 2002, observant Brits first saw this Banksy on the exterior wall of a print shop in Shoreditch, and another version under the Waterloo Bridge.

In 2018, a painted version of Banksy’s Balloon Girl was on auction at Sotheby’s. £1,042,00o. Sold! Smash the gavel. Then, all of a sudden, the painting started to spontaneously shred, thanks to remote-controlled blades Banksy had hidden in the back of the frame. The bidder went ahead with the purchase.

In 2021, this half-shredded painting – now renamed ‘Love Is In The Bin’ – sold at Sotheby’s for £18,582,000!

A video from banksyfilm:

The top 12 results from the British artwork poll…

Britain’s Most Beloved Artworks. BBC. 2017
i. Banksy. Girl with Balloon. Started in 2002
ii. John Constable. The Hay Wain. 1821
iii. Jack Vettriano. The Singing Butler. 1992
iv. JMW Turner. The Fighting Temeraire. 1839
v. Antony Gormley. The Angel of the North. 1998
vi. L S Lowry. Going to the Match. 1953
vii. John William Waterhouse. The Lady of Shalott. 1888
viii. Peter Blake. Sgt Pepper album cover. 1967
ix. Hipgnosis and George Hardie. Dark Side of the Moon album cover. 1973
x. George Stubbs. Mares and Foals. 1769
xi. Thomas Gainsborough. Mr and Mrs Andrews. 1748-50
xii. John Everett Millais. Ophelia. 1851