Arts & Entertainment

Banksy’s Game Changer breaks his auction record

London, Mar 23 (efe-epa).- Banksy’s Game Changer on Tuesday was sold at Christie’s auction house for 16.7 million pounds (a little over $23 million), setting a new record for the British artist.

The revenue for the artwork, which depicts a child holding a doll of a nurse with a superhero’s cape, will go to charities supporting the National Health Service, the UK’s public health system.

The mysterious British artist gifted the painting to a Southampton hospital on 6 May 2020 during the first wave of Covid-19.

He also left a note for the health workers at the center 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.”

David French, the head of the University Hospital Southampton, said after learning of the auction outcome: “This incredible gift will be invaluable in helping us to focus on promoting and protecting the welfare of our staff as they heal and recover from the last year.”

“As a charitable gift it ensures our staff have a say in how money is spent to benefit them, our patients, and our community and is a fantastic way to thank and reward them for the sacrifices they’ve made,” he added.

Banksy’s previous record at auction was set by a piece picturing the British Parliament’s House of Commons filled with chimpanzees. It was sold for 9.8 million pounds in October 2019, a spokesperson for Christie’s told Efe. EFE-EPA

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