les miserables cosette banksy londres

Banksy is British and he is the most famous street art artist in the world. In 2016 he created in front of the French embassy in London (in the United Kingdom) a “Cosette” (who is one of the principal characters of the famous novel “les Misérables” by the French author : Victor Hugo 1802-1885).

This ephemeral painting represent Cosette who is crying, behind her a French flag and there is a “strange cloud” under her with a link for smartphone which brings us a video which shows the tear gas in Calais.

 

            This masterpiece convey a message about the migrants in Calais who were asphyxiated by tear gas by the French policemen who were throwing away tear bombs. Around 4.500 refugees were in Calais during this period (with sometimes some children) and they were used to live in terrible condition: we were used to call this site “the Jungle”.  And also they were living in misery...like Cosette.

 

 Some of them hoped to join the United Kingdom to have their family (who were in England) or other wanted to have a better condition because it is more easy for a stranger to have a job in England.

 

Thanks to his painting, Banksy wanted to give evidence of the condition’s migrants because paintings talk to everyone (if you are a child or a young teenager who know nothing about the news…)

Like Hugo by his talent, he conveys his feeling about the news which are a little like the same than 150 ago. And again like Hugo he is giving a voice for the people who can’t express their feelings in this society.