In the early hours of Monday (March 1) morning, the artwork was spotted on the side of the institution that closed in 2014.
It shows a man dressed in a striped prisoner’s uniform escaping on a knotted rope made of bed sheets and tied to a typewriter.
People take photographs of the graffiti. TNS
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.
Following his release from the prison, Wilde wrote the poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” which dwelled on the rigid Victorian penal system.
A campaign was recently launched to save the Grade II listed building from being made into a housing complex, and instead wants it to be converted into an arts hub.
‘Guerrilla artist’ Banksy is yet to credit the painting to himself.
Experts however believe it contains all the hallmarks of a ‘Banksy.’
The artist is best known for his graffiti artwork, which often serves as social commentary.
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