/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f90c4d12206153b64ecfd00/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=4000&cropY1=253&cropY2=2504&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1 "‘Show Me The Monet’: Banksy’s Version Of Impressionist Water Lilies Nets Nearly Million")
Topline
Mysterious U.K. street artist Banksy’s rendition of French impressionist Claude Monet’s famous water lilies sold for $9.8 million at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, the second most expensive Banksy piece the art world has seen at auction.
Banksy’s Show Me The Monet during a Sotheby’s auction exhibition in Hong Kong earlier this month.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key Facts
“The work is such a complex and strong comment on the institution of art, but also a comment on consumerism vs. culture. Today I perceive it as one of the most important works of art in this century so far,” said Jacob Thage, the director of the Museum Jorn in Denmark where Show Me The Monet was most recently displayed to the public.
Sotheby’s told AFP that five potential buyers were determined to win the piece at auction, which helped drive up bidding and allowed the painting to bring in double the low-end of the estimated price.
It’s the priciest of Banksy’s works to sell at auction since his painting Devolved Parliament, which depicts MPs as chimpanzees in the House of Commons, sold for $12 million almost exactly a year ago, which marked the artist’s record auction price.
Tangent
According to a Sotheby’s statement, Show Me The Money “presents a dialogue on the impact of the corporate world on our environment and the sacrifices made at the expense of so-called ‘human progress’.”
Key Background
Despite being responsible for some of today’s most recognizable images, little is known about Banksy, who keeps his identity hidden. His work deals with provocative subjects like capitalism, authority, consumerism and poverty and often features his trademark black rats. During the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Banksy encouraged followers to social distance by sharing pictures of an art installation in his own home. In July, he spray painted the interior of subway cars in London with pandemic-themed cartoons, like rats using face masks as parachutes and holding bottles of hand sanitizer.
Further Reading
Banksy take on Monet masterpiece sells for £7.6 million (AFP)
Banksy’s Latest Coronavirus-Inspired Work Removed From London Tube By Cleaners (Forbes)
Under Lockdown, Banksy Strikes A New Target: His Own Bathroom (Forbes)
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