Banksy: Potential artwork appears overnight on side of Reading Prison

Artwork shows a man scaling the building’s walls

A piece of graffiti possibly painted by Banksy has appeared overnight on the side of Reading Prison.

In the early hours of Monday (1 March) morning, the artwork was spotted on the side of the now-closed institution.

It shows a man dressed in a striped prisoner’s uniform scaling the side of the building on a knotted rope.

Beneath the man, the chain is shown to be made of paper and coming out of a typewriter.

Some have speculated that the man is meant to represent Irish poet Oscar Wilde, who was imprisoned at the jail from 1895 to 1897 on charges of gross indecency with other men.

The figure is shown scaling the building with a typewriter (Nigel Keene/ProSportsImages/Shutterstock)

Following his release from the prison, Wilde wrote the poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” about a hanging that took place while he served his sentence.

Read more: Two 2008 Banksy murals in New Orleans defaced over Christmas

A campaign was recently launched to save the Grade II listed building after it was closed in 2014.

Banksy is yet to confirm whether he created the work or not. The Independent has contacted his office for comment.

Banksy is best known for his graffiti artwork, which often serves as social commentary.

In December, the elusive artist claimed responsibility for a piece in his hometown of Bristol showing a woman sneezing.