After repainting the walls of Bristol and then the whole world, Banksy puts his notoriety at the service of hospitals.
During the first wave of the pandemic, the British urban artist donated an original painting to Southampton University Hospital.
A nice gift that should bring in more than 3 million pounds (3.5 million euros) for the benefit of caregivers, when it goes on sale at the end of the month.
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The work, titled
Game Changer
, depicts in black and white a little boy playing with a nurse doll wearing a mask and cape.
The little boy threw his Batman and Superman figures in the trash.
The most famous of the anonymous street artists decided to auction the original canvas to raise funds for the NHS, the public health service.
A reproduction of the work will remain in the hospital.
For Christie's, which organizes the sale, the painting constitutes a "
personal tribute to those who continue to reverse the course of the pandemic
".
"
The
Game Changer
Banksy represented a beacon of hope to the staff and patients from Southampton hospital and the artist wanted the auction to benefit the NHS
," said Katharine Arnold, co-director, responsible for post-war and contemporary art in Europe at Christie's.
She stressed that the work "
pays tribute to the strength and resilience
" of NHS employees.
Offered for auction on March 23,
Game Changer
is estimated at between £ 2.5 million and £ 3.5 million.
When giving the work to caregivers last May, the artist left them a note saying: “
Thank you for everything you do.
Hope this brightens up the place a bit, even if it's only in black and white.
"