Banksy's painting sold at auction for $5 million.


At Sotheby’s auction, a painting by the unknown artist Banksy, titled Crude Oil (Vettriano), was sold for £4.3 million ($5.5 million). It was sold by Mark Hoppus, a member of the band Blink-182. This information was provided by Sotheby’s press service.
#AuctionUpdate: Banksy’s ‘Crude Oil (Vettriano)’, from the collection of blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, sells for £4.3M during today’s Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction at #SothebysLondon. #SothebysContemporary pic.twitter.com/ImgvtjWPGn
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) March 4, 2025
This painting by Banksy is a reinterpretation of a work by the Scottish artist Jack Vettriano, titled 'The Singing Butler'. The painting features a couple dancing on a turbulent beach with a butler and a maid. Banksy added two people rolling a barrel of oil and a shattered ship that is on the verge of sinking.
The original version by Vettriano was sold at Sotheby’s auction in 2004 for £744,800 ($953,000).
Mark Hoppus, the American musician, intends to donate part of the proceeds from the sale of Banksy's painting to support charitable organizations and the California Fire Foundation.
It is noteworthy that at the end of last year, Banksy painted graffiti depicting Madonna with a child. This work sparked much discussion regarding the symbolism of Madonna herself.
It is also known that the painting by Banksy titled 'Woman in a Gas Mask' will be stored in the National Reserve 'Kiev-Pechersk Lavra'.
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