Banksy pandemic painting sells for record amount
Banksy has achieved something not many others can claim by raking in an incredible £16.8 million ($30.18 million) for Britain’s frontline workers during an auction.
After selling an artwork, Christie’s auction house has said the sale would be used to fund health organisations and charities across the UK.
The work titled "Game Changer", features a young boy sitting on the floor playing with a nurse superhero toy while Batman and Spider-Man figurines lay in a rubbish bin next to him.
The picture appeared on a wall at Southampton General Hospital in southern England in May of 2020.
The hospital said Banksy had left a note for workers that read: "Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white."
The sale price was a world auction record for Banksy and Christie’s, the auction house said it will donate a "significant portion" of the buyer's premium to health organisations.
"Banksy is an extraordinary artist who is a constant barometer of nationwide sentiment," said Katharine Arnold, who runs the European post-war and contemporary art era at the auction house.
"With the perfect image of a little boy playing with his superhero doll, a nurse sporting the international Red Cross, he perfectly captured the essence of this moment in time."