A record sale for a Banksy canvas echoing Brexit

It is a work in the air of the time. A painting of the street artist Banksy representing the British Parliament populated with monkeys. In full debate on Brexit, this painting was torn Thursday, October 3 in London for the sum of 9.9 million pounds (11.1 million), a record for the artist.

The estimate was pulverized. The canvas, 2.50m x 4.2m without its frame, was estimated between 1.5 and 2 million pounds sterling (between 1.7 and 2.25 million euros). It was awarded after thirteen minutes of "disputed auction", where ten collectors, said Sotheby's have made the price soar. The identity of the acquirer has not been disclosed.

#Brexitvote the House of Commons in full vote! #Banksy artwork sold 11 million euros. pic.twitter.com/cAUfbiioyF

On hearing the news, Banksy did not fail to joke about his twitter account. "Record price for a painting of Banksy reached tonight ... Too bad! She did not belong to me anymore," he wrote. The artist had sold it in 2011.

See this post on Instagram

. Record price for a Banksy painting set at auction tonight. Shame I did not still own it.

A publication shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Oct. 3, 2019 at 12:28 pm PDT

He then went on to quote from Robert Hughes, an Australian art critic: "Instead of being a common heritage for humanity as books are, art becomes the personal property of whoever can make it. Imagine that any book in the world is worth a million dollars - imagine the catastrophic effect it would have on culture. "

"One, simple image"

This sale comes just days before a possible exit of the United Kingdom from Europe, October 31 next. "There has never been a better time to sell this painting," said Alex Branczik, head of Sotheby's Contemporary Art Department Europe, describing it as a "daily soap opera". the scenes of these last months and weeks in Parliament. For him, Banksy's work emphasizes "the regression of the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world in a tribal and animal attitude".

"I think there is no doubt about his political views, but Banksy's true genius is his ability to reduce this incredible, complex debate to a single, simple image," said Sotheby's expert.

Previously dubbed "Question Time", with reference to the weekly session of questions to the Prime Minister, the painting was reworked by the artist, who notably changed the meaning of the banana of one chimpanzees. The painting was renamed by derision "Devolved Parliament".

This is not the first time that the famous street artist has interfered in the Brexit debate. In Dover, he made a fresco of a man smashing a European star with a chisel, a work that can be seen by thousands of truck drivers and visitors entering the UK every day.

#Banksy in Dover #Brexit #europe pic.twitter.com/jBNnVAN3gN

With AFP