LONDON: A print of a girl with a pink balloon by Banksy sold for a whopping GBP 375,000 at Sotheby's online auction of prints by the anonymous graffiti artist on Monday. The work, which has been voted Britain's favourite artwork, surpassed its pre-sale estimate of GBP 3,00,000-500,000.
The print was among the 25 lots that went under hammer at the auction that witnessed 96 per cent sale, fetching a total of GBP 1.1 million, against its higher estimate of GBP 1 million.
It surpassed its pre-sale estimate of GBP 672,000-1 million.
A second version with the red balloon made GBP 106,250, against its estimated price of GBP 50,000-70,000.
An internationally renowned street artist, Banksy has been painting the walls since the early 1990s, and throughout this time, he has managed to keep his identity undisclosed. He is best known for his satirical, powerful work, which he often creates using stencils and spray paint.
Another item that sold for higher than its estimated price was 'Bomb Love'. Estimated at GBP 7,000-9,000, it sold for GBP 27,500. The artwork attracted 22 bids alone.
"On average, the 24 lots sold attracted 12 bids each. Almost half of buyers (47%) were new to Sotheby's and 30% of bidders were under 40 years old," the auction house said in a statement on Tuesday. New records were established for several prints, including "Gangsta Rat" (GBP 40,000), "Love Rat" (GBP 60,000), "Di-Faced Tenners" (GBP 30,000), "Applause" (GBP 32,500) and "Grannies" (GBP 30,000).
This was Sotheby's second online-only auction of Banksy prints following the company's inaugural auction held in September last year.
