British graffiti artist Banksy’s Game Changer was auctioned on Tuesday for £ 16.75 million (€ 19.4 million) to be donated to British health workers.
The painting was sold to an anonymous buyer at Christie’s Auction House in London. This is the largest amount ever paid for a painting by Banksy.
The oil painting depicts a boy holding a nurse’s doll in his outstretched hand, while Batman and Superman figurines can be seen in the basket at his feet.
The painting was left at Southampton General Hospital in May last year with a note in which Banksy thanked the hospital staff for their work in tackling the pandemic.
“Thank you for everything you do. I hope it will beautify this place a bit, even though it’s black and white,” the note said.
The proceeds from the auction will be donated to charities from the British Health Service, and the reproduction of the painting will continue to decorate Southampton General Hospital.
It was initially estimated that the painting could be auctioned for £ 2.5 million to £ 3.5 million.
To date, the largest amount paid for Banksy’s work is £ 9.9 million, which was auctioned off in October 2019 for the painting “Devolved Parliament”, which depicts a parliament with chimpanzees.
–
