The painting, originally known as The Girl with the Balloon, was offered by Sotheby’s for the first time in October 2018, when it was auctioned for more than a million pounds (29 million crowns). The shredder hidden in the frame started when the anonymous European bidder made the highest bid, leaving only strips out of half the canvas. The newly created work depicting a little girl reaching for a heart-shaped balloon was named Love is in the basket.
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Banksy, who carefully conceals his identity, began his career by spraying graffiti on buildings in Bristol, England. He is now one of the most famous artists in the world, with several of his works sold for more than a million. The previous record of £ 16.8 million was earned in March this year by graffiti paying homage to British healthcare workers, which he originally sprayed on the hospital wall.
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The Girl with the Balloon also first appeared spray-painted on a wall in East London in 2002. Since then, it has been reproduced countless times and has become one of Banksy’s most famous works. Subsequently, the shredded auctioned spray on canvas came from 2006.
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