Banksy – Monkey Parliament

Description

In 2009, Banksy painted an oil canvas that depicted chimpanzees instead of politicians in the House of Commons. The canvas, spanning thirteen feet in length, was first exhibited in Banksy’s “Banksy versus Bristol Museum” exhibition in 2009 under “Question Time.”

Ten years later, the canvas was reworked and retitled “Devolved Parliament” to mark Bristol Museum’s 10th anniversary and Britain’s scheduled exit from the European Union.

The canvas was auctioned at Sotheby’s on October 3, 2019, and sold for a record-breaking final price of 9,879,500 GBP (USD 13,590,000), including premiums and fees. It had surpassed its estimated cost of 1,500,000 – 2,000,000 GBP. The painting was confirmed to be the same exhibited at the Bristol Museum in 2009; these are not two separate paintings but one that’s been amended sometime in the last decade.

Banksy, Devolved Parliament, Auction Result. Image © Sotheby’s Auction House.

“Monkey Parliament” was an Offset Lithograph released in 2009 during his Banksy v. Bristol Museum Show. This was a true poster authorised by Banksy and the Bristol Museum and featured the image of his original painting with the lights on and the upward-turned banana.