Rare Banksy painting on two panels valued at nearly $5M
An employee of auction house Christie’s poses with ‘Girl with Balloon’ (Gold) by British street artist Banksy at the Southbank centre, in London. (DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 4:09 PM PT – Friday, October 1, 2021
Rare works of art by British street artist Banksy have been put on display ahead of several auctions for the very desirable pieces. Included was famous painting titled Girl with Balloon, which has been on display in London.
Considered one of the elusive artist’s most signature images, the piece was deemed rare as it has been typically presented on a single canvas. Referred to as diptych, the painting is on two panels.
The painting dates to 2005 and was valued at up to $4.7 million.
“I think Banksy is like the Robin Hood of the art world because he just appears where he’s needed most,” expressed Katharine Arnold, Christie’s specialist. “You know, he speaks truth to power in a way that few others do and I think that makes him a hero for the everyman. In a way, he is someone that we all like to claim as our own.”
Sotheby’s employees view ‘Love is in the Bin’ by British artist Banksy during a media preview at Sotheby’s auction house in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
A painting with a similar image famously self-destructed after going to auction in 2018. The piece, which is still in its half-shredded state, is also going back on the auction block later this month and has been valued at up to $8 million.