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."


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All artworks of Blek Le Rat

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Painting

Print, The King, Blek Le Rat

The King

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 x 0.4 inch

$1,811

Painting, Homeless in Paris, Blek Le Rat

Homeless in Paris

Blek Le Rat

Painting - 63.5 x 51 x 1 inch

$45,000

Print, Rat n°5, Blek Le Rat

Rat n°5

Blek Le Rat

Print - 12.2 x 9.1 x 0 inch

$2,774

Print, L'anarchiste, Blek Le Rat

L'anarchiste

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

$3,736

Print, The Homeless, Blek Le Rat

The Homeless

Blek Le Rat

Print - 22 x 29.9 inch

$2,717

Print, The Year 2020, Blek Le Rat

The Year 2020

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

$2,485

Print, Rat No. 5, Blek Le Rat

Rat No. 5

Blek Le Rat

Print - 12.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inch

$3,679

Print, After the apocalypse, Blek Le Rat

After the apocalypse

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

$3,158

Print, The Warrior (bleu), Blek Le Rat

The Warrior (bleu)

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

$2,943

Print, Crooner Rat, Blek Le Rat

Crooner Rat

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

$9,056

Print, The Street Artist Paraphernalia, Blek Le Rat

The Street Artist Paraphernalia

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

$3,057

Print, The Warrior (yellow), Blek Le Rat

The Warrior (yellow)

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

$3,170

Print, Warrior (Le Guerrier), Blek Le Rat

Warrior (Le Guerrier)

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

Sold

Print, The Street Artist Paraphernalia (Framed), Blek Le Rat

The Street Artist Paraphernalia (Framed)

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

Sold

Print, After The Apocalypse (Framed), Blek Le Rat

After The Apocalypse (Framed)

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 inch

Sold

Print, Rat Flower, Blek Le Rat

Rat Flower

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12 x 1.2 inch

Sold

Print, Le Sacré du Graffiti, Blek Le Rat

Le Sacré du Graffiti

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

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Print, The man who walks through the walls (German), Blek Le Rat

The man who walks through the walls (German)

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Napoléon Today, Blek Le Rat

Napoléon Today

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Graffiti King, Blek Le Rat

Graffiti King

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Patron of Arts, Blek Le Rat

Patron of Arts

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.9 x 22 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Golden Rat, Blek Le Rat

Golden Rat

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Computer Man, Blek Le Rat

Computer Man

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.1 x 28.3 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, L’Homme Qui Traverse les Murs, Blek Le Rat

L’Homme Qui Traverse les Murs

Blek Le Rat

Print - 15 x 11 inch

Sold

Print, Chopin, Blek Le Rat

Chopin

Blek Le Rat

Print - 12.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Le Guerrier – édition spéciale, Blek Le Rat

Le Guerrier – édition spéciale

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.2 x 0 inch

Sold

Print, Rat No. 5, Blek Le Rat

Rat No. 5

Blek Le Rat

Print - 12.3 x 9.1 inch

Sold

Print, Rope Pulling (Yellow), Blek Le Rat

Rope Pulling (Yellow)

Blek Le Rat

Print - 22 x 29.9 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Red Rat, Blek Le Rat

Red Rat

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, His master's voiceless, Blek Le Rat

His master's voiceless

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.1 x 28.3 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, His master's voiceless, Blek Le Rat

His master's voiceless

Blek Le Rat

Print - 29.1 x 28.3 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Print, Man who walks through walls, Blek Le Rat

Man who walks through walls

Blek Le Rat

Print - 28.3 x 20.1 inch

Sold

Print, L'anarchiste, Blek Le Rat

L'anarchiste

Blek Le Rat

Print - 9.1 x 12.6 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Painting, Last Tango, Blek Le Rat

Last Tango

Blek Le Rat

Painting - 65.6 x 52.6 x 1.6 inch

Sold

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Who is the artist?

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."

What are their 3 main works?

What is Blek Le Rat’s artistic movement?

The artistic movements of the artists are: Famous Street Artists

When was Blek Le Rat born?

The year of birth of the artist is: 1951