Devolved Parliament (Banksy)
Devolved Parliament is a 2009 oil-on-canvas painting by Banksy, replacing British politicians debating in the House of Commons with chimpanzees. In 2019, the artwork became Banksy's most costly to date, selling for £9.9 million ($12.2 million) at Sotheby's in London on October 3, 2019.[1][2][3]
The work measures 2.5 m × 4.2 m (8 ft 2 in × 13 ft 9 in).[3] It was titled Question Time when first shown at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery's 2009 Banksy show.[2] It was sold to a private collector in 2011.[3] A reworked and retitled version of the painting was exhibited in Bristol in March 2019, with changes to details such as a banana and some lamps.[3] Banksy commented, "Laugh now, but one day no-one will be in charge".[3]
The depiction of chimpanzees echoes Banksy's 2002 work Laugh Now, a 6-foot-long stencilled work showing a row of apes wearing aprons with the inscription "Laugh now, but one day we'll be in charge", and the similar Keep it Real.[3] Chimpanzees are a theme that has occurred throughout Banksy's oeuvre, as a satirical device in the tradition of the singerie that depicts monkeys imitating human behavior. Examples include his Self-Portrait (2000) which shows a person holding spray cans but with a chimpanzee's head, and Monkey Queen (2003) based on a portrait of Elizabeth II with a chimpanzee's face.[4]
See also
References
- ^ Davies, Guy (October 3, 2019). "Banksy painting depicting British politicians as apes breaks auction record". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 4, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Reyburn, Scott (October 3, 2019). "Banksy Painting 'Devolved Parliament' Sells for $12 Million". The New York Times. London. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Banksy, Devolved Parliament Archived 2019-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Sotheby's, October 3, 2019.
- ^ Banksy Monkey Business, Banksy Explained
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- Flower Thrower (1999)
- The Mild Mild West (1999)
- Pulp Fiction
- Gorilla in a Pink Mask
- Bombing Middle England
- Girl with Balloon (2002)
- Flying Copper (2003)
- Bomb Hugger (2003)
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- Untitled (2004)
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- The Drinker (2004)
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- Show Me the Monet (2005)
- Well Hung Lover (2006)
- Self Portrait
- One Nation Under CCTV (2008)
- Devolved Parliament (2009)
- Forgive Us Our Trespassing
- Follow Your Dreams (2010)
- Cardinal Sin (2011)
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- Better Out Than In (2013)
- Girl with a Pierced Eardrum (2014)
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- From this moment despair ends and tactics begin (2019)
- Valentine's Banksy (2020)
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- Hula Hooping Girl (2020)
- A Great British Spraycation (2021)
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- Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010 documentary)
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- The Antics Roadshow (2011 documentary)
- Banksy Does New York (2014 documentary)
- The Banksy Job (2016 documentary)