A painting by the street artist Banksy was auctioned off at London's auction house Sotheby’s. Having started at £ 1 million, the canvas called Devolved Parliament, which depicts chimpanzees populating the House of Commons of the British Parliament, has been auctioned for a record £ 9.9 million, which is 287 million crowns. The name of the person that reached so deep into their pocket is a mystery. But one thing is certain. The unknown anonymous buyer can be proud of owning this piece.
Over two and a half meters high and more than four meters wide, the painting could first be seen at the 2009 Exhibition in Bristol. Even Banksy himself, a painter who is considered to be one of the most prominent artists of the present day, probably didn't foresee how aptly his painting would capture London one day. With the long debates led by the legislators and the constant postponement of Brexit, the picture turned out to be a very actual depiction of the current situation in London.
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Source: @banksyarchive
"Whichever side of the Brexit debate you're on, there is no doubt that this work is more relevant than ever,"
Those were the words with which Sotheby's auction house opened Thursday's auction. Banksy himself shared his painting on Instagram with the following description:
Prodej investičního ateliéru 18m2-Praha, Praha 10
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"I made this ten years ago. Laugh now, but one day no-one will be in charge."
Pretty scary, huh? Anyway, prior to the auction, the price of the painting was estimated at between £ 1.5 and £ 2 million, which is about CZK 43 to 58 million. The fact that the number climbed so high surprised everyone. The whole auction lasted only thirteen minutes. An unknown buyer who wished to remain anonymous offered the largest amount anyone had ever offered for a Banksy via a phone call.
Who is Banksy, anyway?
A pseudonym for an English street art artist that nobody seems to have ever seen. He likes to keep his true identity to himself. In his work, he enjoys combining graffiti with stencil techniques. His paintings usually carry political, satirical or cultural messages. Check out some of his other works in our gallery.
