Banksy's Artwork Set for Auction on March 4
A painting by the renowned artist Banksy is set to be auctioned in London on March 4, with an estimated price of around $6 million.
Sotheby's auction house announced that the artwork, titled Crude Oil (Vettriano) is part of the collection of Mark Hoppus, co-founder of the band Blink-182, and his wife, who purchased it in 2011.
The painting will first be displayed at Sotheby's New York headquarters from February 18 to 20 before being moved to London, where it will be exhibited from February 26 to March 4.
The artwork is a reimagined version of The Singing Butler (1992) by Scottish artist Jack Vettriano, which originally depicts a couple dancing on a windswept beach, accompanied by a maid and a butler holding umbrellas. In Banksy's version, however, the maid is replaced by two men in hazmat suits carrying containers of toxic waste, reinforcing his signature social critique.
The proceeds from the auction will be donated to two medical charities in Los Angeles and the California Fire Foundation, in response to the recent wildfires that have devastated the region.
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