A mural by renowned street artist Banksy—which shows a young boy hunching over a sewing machine making Union Jack titles—was chiseled off the wall last week, and listed for sale on a US auction site.
The mural is now for sale in Miami, with a starting bid of US$400,000 and is estimated to fetch US$500,000 - $700,000.
Timely created before the Diamond Jubilee last year, Banksy aptly stenciled the mural on the side of a Poundland discount shop, as a commentary of child labor under the Queen’s reign.
Last Wednesday, residents of the Wood Green neighbourhood of London “noticed scaffolding and tarps surrounding the artwork”—according to BBC News—and by Friday, “only a hole in the wall remained”.
A few days after the ‘Child Labor’ piece disappeared, it was found to be listed for sale at LiveAuctioneers.com by Fine Arts Auction Miami—it was previously located along the street of Turnpike Lane.
According to BBC News, Fine Arts Auctions “rejected suggestions that the mural was stolen, saying the listing came from a ‘well-known collector’, who had signed a contract to say ‘everything was above board’”.
Local council member Alan Strickland is campaigning for the work’s return, and said that there is “lots of anger” at the removal.
“Residents have been really shocked and really astonished,” he told the BBC. “Banksy gave that piece of art to our community, and people came from all over London to see it.”
This is not the first time Banksy’s public work has been removed and sold.
[via BBC News]