Decorating the side of a former medical clinic is a thought-provoking street mural created by one of Britain’s most-loved and prolific graffiti artists.
Banksy's graffiti on Frogmore Street is an interesting work of public art by the incognito and often controversial street artist Banksy. Also known as Well Hung Lover or Naked Man, it portrays an unclothed man hanging from the window of a one-time sexual health clinic. The artwork appeared in 2006 and became the United Kingdom’s first legal graffiti after Bristol residents voted in favor of keeping it.
The main image of this stenciled graffiti is of a naked man who seems to be escaping from a window. One hand is holding on to the windowsill and the other covers the intimate parts of his exposed body. In the window above you can see a man dressed in a suit and desperately looking for someone. Next to him is a woman dressed only in her underwear and with a concerned look on her face.
Common belief is that the artwork conveys the scene of an extramarital affair and that the protagonists were almost caught by a suspecting husband. Note the three blue paint marks, which remain after vandals defaced the mural with seven paintball shots in 2009. Although unconfirmed, one theory is that the culprit was a rival artist to Banksy called King Robbo.
You’ll find the mural located high up on the side of a building on Frogmore Street, in Bristol City Centre. The best views and photo opportunities are from a bridge on Park Street. Several bus lines stop close to the attraction. Metered street parking is possible however, spaces tend to fill up fast.
Include a visit to Banksy's graffiti on Frogmore Street on a self-guided walking tour of other masterpieces by Banksy. On display in the foyer of the nearby Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is Paint Pot Angel, a sculpture of a winged angel with her head covered by a tin of paint. In the Spike Island area of Bristol Harbourside you can see the Girl with the Pierced Eardrum and the Grim Reaper.
