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]
| Devolved Parliament | |
|---|---|
| Question Time | |
 | |
| Artist | Banksy |
| Year | 2009 |
| Dimensions | 4.3 m (14 ft) |
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] 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".[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] It was sold at auction in October 2019.[3]
References
- Davies, Guy (October 3, 2019). "Banksy painting depicting British politicians as apes breaks auction record". ABC News. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- Reyburn, Scott (October 3, 2019). "Banksy Painting 'Devolved Parliament' Sells for $12 Million". The New York Times. London. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- Banksy, Devolved Parliament, Sotheby's, 3 October 2019