Banksy artwork sells for almost $10 million at auction

Banksy’s playful take on a famous Impressionist painting has sold at auction for 7.6 million pounds ($9.8 million), second-highest price ever paid for a work by British street artist.

“Show Me Monet” sold to an unidentified bidder at Soby’s in London on Wednesday evening, surpassing its upper pre-sale estimate of 5 million pounds.

In 2005 work, Banksy ded abandoned shopping carts and an orange traffic cone to Claude Monet’s im of water lilies in his garden at Giverny.

Alex Branczik, Soby’s European he of contemporary art, said work was one of “strongest and most iconic” Banksy works to appear at auction.

Banksy, whose real name has never been officially confirmed, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of world’s best-kwn artists.

Ar Banksy work, “Devolved Parliament,” sold last year at Soby’s in London for 9.9 million pounds. Earlier this month, his graffiti-style piece “Forgive Us Our Trespassing” sold for $8.3 million at Soby’s in Hong Kong.

(Im: AP)