About this artwork

Jack and Jill features two children, a boy and a girl, skipping arm in arm. They are both smiling and the girl is carrying a small basket with flowers. Conflicting with this happy image are the bulletproof vests they are wearing. It could be referring to the fact that some overbearing parents feel the need to protect their children and don't give them a lot of freedom. It could also mean that children do need more protection. The names of the children are based on the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill went up the hill." In the rhyme the children go up the hill and fall down. Childhood should be a time to explore and be carefree. Banksy could be trying to tell us that this is not the reality for a lot children, and that sometimes the world isn't a safe place.