Three iconic Banksy works owned by British pop star Robbie Williams will be sold on 2 March, as part of The Now Evening Auction at Sotheby's London.
Collected in the mid-2000s, the trio of works are Kissing Coppers, Vandalised Oils (Choppers) and Girl with Balloon. Together, they are estimated between £7 and 10 million pounds (around US$9.4 to 13.4 million dollars).
The trend of Banksy works in the auction market has always been strong. This time, there is even more celebrity effect – but it is unknown how much it will affect the sale prices.
Robbie Williams
Williams reminisced about seeing the three works for the first time.
“I believe they are some of his best paintings and I love how closely linked they are to the street pieces. As a collector of Banksy’s work, you become part of a broader cultural movement,” said Williams.
In October 2020, Banksy's provocative oil painting Show Me the Monet was sold at Sotheby's London. According to British media reports, Robbie Williams was also interested in bidding. In the end, this work was sold at £7.5 million pounds (around US$10.1 million dollars), and was bought by an Asian collector.
Robbie Williams was interested in bidding for Banksy's Show Me the Monet, but was left empty-handed
Banksy | Girl with Balloon, Stencil and spray paint on metal
Created in 2006
60 x 90 cm
Estimate: £2,000,000 – 3,000,000
This painting shows a girl releasing a red, heart-shaped balloon flying into the distance. In 2002, it made its debut under Waterloo Bridge, London.
In 2018, a canvas version of the image passed through a shredder inserted into its frame moments after it sold at Sotheby’s London for more than £1 million pounds.
In its new form, the shredded artwork became Love is in the Bin. It sold for £18.5 million pounds (around US$25.4 million dollars) in October 2021 – setting a new Banksy auction record
Williams’ version from 2006 is depicted on metal and is the first of its kind to appear at auction. It is estimated between £2 and 3 million pounds (around US$2.7 to 4.05 million dollars).
The self-destructing artwork, Girl with Balloon (which later became Love is in the Bin), stunned the art world
Banksy's Love is in the Bin fetched around US$25.4 million dollars | Sotheby’s London, October 2021
Banksy's Kissing Coppers first emerged on the exterior of The Prince Albert Pub in Brighton in 2004
Banksy | Kissing Coppers, Spray paint and acrylic on canvas
Created in 2005
121 x 90 cm
Estimate: £2,500,000 – 3,500,000
This work depicts two male British police officers in a passionate embrace, which first appeared on the outside wall of the Prince Albert Pub in Brighton in 2004. Following repeated vandalism, the original mural was removed in 2014.
Once a regular stop on the city’s tourist trail, the work may be interpreted as Banksy’s advocation for the public acceptance of homosexuality – a claim supported by its location in Brighton, which is celebrated as the United Kingdom’s LGBTQ+ capital.
Williams’ version of the artwork is a painting on canvas from 2005 – estimated to be worth between £2.5 and 3.5 million pounds (around US$3.3 to 4.7 million dollars).
Banksy | Vandalised Oils (Choppers), Oil and spray paint on canvas
Created in 2005
94 x 61 cm
Estimate: £2,500,000 – 3,500,000
This artwork was created in 2005, which depicts two armed military helicopters disrupt a serene pastoral landscape. It is estimated between £2.5 and 3.5 million pounds (around US$3.3 to 4.7 million dollars).
Hailing from the artist’s Vandalised Oils series – each work uses elements of graffiti and modernity to debase an oil painting. It is believed that the painting represents Banksy’s critique of the dangerous potentials of mechanised warfare.
A recurring theme amongst his works, Banksy’s depiction of the American Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter first appeared as a sprayed mural in London at the Whitecross Street Market in 2002.
Banksy's Vandalised Oil #001 sold for £121,250 pounds (around US$165,000) | Phillips London, February 2010
Banksy's Vandalised Oils series is highly sought after in the auction market. Sunflowers from Petrol Station was sold at US$14.5 million dollars in November 2021 – making it Banksy's third most expensive work ever. The series of oeuvres are new renditions of well-known oil paintings to evoke a sense of irony.
Sunflowers from Petrol Station and Vandalised Oils (Choppers) were both created in 2005 – the latter appearing in Sotheby's upcoming auction. The former measures 102.6 by 87.5 cm, while the latter 94 by 61 cm.
Banksy top five auction records:
- Love is in the Bin (original painting created in 2006, new form in 2018) | Spray paint and acrylic on canvas mounted on board, 142 x 78 x 18cm | Sotheby’s London, October 2021 | Sold for £18,582,000 (around US$25.4 million)
- Game Changer (2020) | Oil on canvas, 91 x 91cm | Christie's New York, March 2021 | Sold for £16,758,000 (around US$22.5 million)
- Sunflowers from Petrol Station (2005) | Oil on canvas, 102.6 x 87.5 cm | Christie's New York, November 2021 | Sold for US$14,558,000 (around US$19.6 million)
- Decentralised Parliament (2009) | Oil on canvas, 276 x 446 cm | Sotheby's London, October 2019｜Sold for £9,879,500 (around US$13.2 million)
- Show Me the Monet (2005) | Oil on canvas, 143.1 x 143.4 cm | Sotheby's London, October 2020｜Sold for £7,551,600 (around US$10.1 million)
Banksy's most expensive artwork: Love is in the Bin | Sotheby’s London in October 2021 | Sold for £18,582,000 (around US$25.4 million)
Second most expensive Banksy artwork: Game Changer | Christie's New York, March 2021 | Sold for £16,758,000 (around US$22.5 million)
Third most expensive Banksy artwork: Sunflowers from Petrol Station | Christie's New York, November 2021 | Sold for US$14,558,000 (around US$19.6 million)
Fourth most expensive Banksy artwork: Decentralised Parliament | Sotheby's London, October 2019｜Sold for £9,879,500 (around US$13.2 million)
Fifth most expensive Banksy artwork: Show Me the Monet | Sotheby's London, October 2020｜Sold for £7,551,600 (around US$10.1 million)
Auction Details:
Auction House: Sotheby’s London
Sale: The Now Evening Auction
Date: 2 March 2022