Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Banksy prints sell for £435,000 at Bonham's auction

'Rude Copper' and 'Flower Thrower' were among the prints sold at Bonham's

Jess Denham
Thursday 29 January 2015 18:06 GMT
Comments
The collection of 30 Banksy prints at Bonhams auction house in London
The collection of 30 Banksy prints at Bonhams auction house in London (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A collection of Banksy prints has fetched more than double its estimate at auction in London.

The 32 artworks sold at Bonhams for nearly £435,000, with almost all pieces perfoming better than expected.

“Rude Copper”, depicting a swearing policeman, did the best with a £32,500 sale. “Christ with Shopping Bags” was next, selling for £22,500, followed by “Flower Thrower” for £20,625 and “Laugh Now” and “Festival” at £20,000.

The original of 'Laugh Now' by Banksy
The original of 'Laugh Now' by Banksy (Getty Images)

The prints previously belonged to art gallery owner Steve Lazarides and were sold in a “contemporary lifestyle” auction alongside pieces by Conor Harrington and Damien Hirst.

Harrington’s “Dance with the Devil” was the top lot, fetching £77,500 after being estimated at between £30,000 and £50,000.

The auction proved a huge success, fetching more than £1 million in total. A Bonhams spokesperson said the results were “a clear demonstration of Banksy’s importance as a figure at the heart of contemporary art with a thriving market and pan-global interest”.

Elusive Bristol graffiti artist Banksy always sells well at auction, as street art is particularly popular at the moment. Banksy keeps his identity and real name secret, despite many supposed ‘sightings’ of him and attempts at impersonation.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in