A Banksy Painting Just Broke Auction Records by Selling For $23 Million
Game Changer, a painting by Banksy, has just set a new record for the artist by selling for $23.1 million in an auction by Christie's in London. The painting features an image of a little boy playing with a set of superhero toys, including Batman and Spiderman, with a highlight on a nurse doll sporting the international Red Cross.
The painting sold for over four times its estimate of $4.8 million, topping Banksy's previous record of $13.6 million for an oil-on-canvas featuring British politicians as chimpanzees at Sotheby's in 2019. The proceeds of the sale will go to the University Hospital Southampton.
"It has been a great privilege to work on the sale of Game Changer," said Katharine Arnold, Christie's co-head for post-war and contemporary art in Europe. "On a day of national reflection, marking one year since the first lock down in Britain and with so many lives lost around the world, it feels very meaningful to have raised $23,176,314."
She continues, "Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will be used to support health organizations and charities across the UK that enhance the care and treatment provided by the NHS. Banksy is an extraordinary artist who is a constant barometer of nationwide sentiment."
The Southampton Hospitals Charity has announced that the auction proceeds will be used to fund wellbeing projects for its hospital's staff and patients, as well as a community of healthcare providers.
