Banksy piece sells for record price at auction

A painting by anonymous British street artist Banksy on Tuesday sold for a record 16.7 million pounds ($23.1 million) at auction house Christie's in London.

The piece was originally estimated to be worth 2.5 million to 3.5 million pounds.

Proceeds from the auction of the artwork, titled Game Changer, will be used to help support health organizations and charities provided by the National Health Service.

Christie's will "donate a significant portion of the buyer's premium to these causes".

The Banksy painting first appeared at University Hospital Southampton last May as a thank you to staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The artwork came with an accompanying note, which said: "Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white."

The street artist auctioned the original canvas and a reproduction of the work remains at the hospital.

The previous record for a Banksy painting was set in 2019, when his piece titled Devolved Parliament, depicting a House of Commons populated by chimpanzees, sold at Sotheby's in London for 9.8 million pounds.

Katharine Arnold, co-head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Europe at Christie's, said: "Banksy is an extraordinary artist who is a constant barometer of nationwide sentiment. With the perfect image of a little boy playing with his superhero doll, (and) a nurse sporting the international Red Cross, he perfectly captured the essence of this moment in time. As we have turned our focus toward our families and those we love, we express our gratitude to the people who continue to fight on the frontline against COVID 19."

Through Southampton Hospitals Charity, proceeds from the sale will be used to fund wellbeing projects for staff and patients, and distributed to a wider community of healthcare providers both within the NHS and charitable sectors, the auction house said.

David French, interim chief executive officer at University Hospital Southampton, said: "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."