Dated “21 July 2006”, this piece was shown that same year at the “Barely Legal” exhibition in Los Angeles.

The image shows four women in robes and veils, some kneeling in prayer, some crouching, others raising their hands in mourning. But what these women are mourning is not a religious figure. It is a large sign that reads “SALE ENDS TODAY” in white letters on a red background.

The piece takes the visual language of classical religious painting and attaches it to the most banal slogan of consumer culture, a discount sign. This contrast offers a critique of consumerism that is both witty and harsh.

Sale Ends Today is one of Banksy’s strongest examples of blending religious iconography with consumer culture. By closing the gap between the sacred and the banal, it implies that today’s consumer society has become a kind of religion in its own right.