Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Dog Save The Queen (Hand Painted Flag Edition)”
Summary
Dog Save The Queen recasts the official Queen Elizabeth II state portrait as a punk provocation: the monarch keeps her tiara, pearls and regal bearing but sprouts D*Face's winged 'D*Dog' ears and sticks out a lurid red tongue, set against a Union Jack rendered in candy pink and lime green instead of red, white and blue, with the artist's 'Disney'-style logo subverted to read 'D*Face' at lower left. It is a cornerstone of D*Face's early street-era assault on British icons, fusing the Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen' irreverence with his signature winged-eye dog motif.
Why It Matters
The work sits squarely in the tradition of British anti-establishment pop, descending directly from Jamie Reid's 1977 Sex Pistols defacement of the Queen and updating it for the street-art generation. By grafting his cartoon D*Dog ears onto the most recognisable face in Britain and swapping the Union Jack's patriotic palette for sickly fairground colours, D*Face collapses monarchy, consumerism and Disney-fied mass culture into a single image. The 'Disney'-into-'D*Face' logo is a typically sharp jab at corporate branding and the commodification of identity, and the title's pun ('Dog' for 'God') keeps the irreverence pointed rather than merely decorative.
Collector Perspective
The hand-painted flag edition is the desirable variant of this image: the Union Jack background is individually hand-finished, so no two are identical and the edition is capped at 50, putting it well into scarce territory for a D*Face print. Royalty subjects and the D*Dog motif are two of the most sought strands of his catalogue, and a 2005 dated work lands in the collectible early-era window before his market broadened. Realistically this is a low-volume, infrequently-traded piece rather than a high-liquidity blue-chip print; when examples do surface, condition of the hand-painted area and the presence of signature/numbering drive value. It rewards patience to acquire rather than impulse buying.
Historical Context
Produced in 2005 during D*Face's early street era, the image leans on two pillars of British visual rebellion: the official royal portrait format used on stamps and currency, and the punk iconography of the late 1970s. The defacement of the Queen with cartoon ears and a stuck-out tongue echoes the safety-pin and torn-paper treatment Jamie Reid gave her for the Sex Pistols, while the recoloured Union Jack and the Disney-logo subversion tie the monarchy to the same consumer-culture machinery D*Face routinely targets. It predates his larger institutional shows and the wider crossover of his market, making it representative of the raw, satirical voice of his formative years.
FAQ
What does Dog Save The Queen depict?
It shows the official-style portrait of Queen Elizabeth II — complete with tiara, pearl necklace and earrings — defaced with D*Face's winged 'D*Dog' ears and a protruding red tongue, set against a Union Jack rendered in pink and green. A subverted 'Disney'-style logo reading 'D*Face' appears at lower left.
What makes the 'Hand Painted Flag Edition' different?
In this version the Union Jack background is hand-painted by the artist rather than printed flat, so each example varies slightly and is more individual than a standard screen print.
What is the edition size and medium?
It is a screen print with a hand-painted flag, in an edition of 50, produced in 2005.
Is the print signed and numbered?
D*Face limited prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; a signature appears at lower left in this image, though specific numbering should be confirmed on the individual example.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is British street artist Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a pop-art provocateur known for defacing comic-book, advertising and celebrity imagery with motifs like the winged-eyed D*Dog and grinning skulls. He co-founded the StolenSpace gallery.
Related Works
About the Artist
D*Face is the working name of Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a leading figure in British street art. He came up pasting stickers and posters across London in the early 2000s, then built a pop-fuelled visual language that defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity iconography. Recurring motifs include his winged-eyed D*Dog, grinning skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers. His practice spans screenprints, hand-painted multiples, sculpture and large-scale murals worldwide, and he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London. His work satirises consumerism, power and our collective obsession with fame.
Collecting D*Face at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic D*Face prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of D*Face prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new D*Face prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across D*Face and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.