Devolved Parliament
Devolved Parliament
Devolved Parliament is a painting by the anonymous street artist and political activist, Banksy. [1] [2]
Overview
Devolved Parliament is a oil-on-canvas painting that Banksy created in 2009. The 2.5 m × 4.2 m (8 ft 2 in × 13 ft 9 in) piece of art depicts British politicians replaced by chimpanzees in the House of Commons. The piece was first titled "Question Time" when it debuted at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery's 2009 Banksy show; it sold in 2011. [3]
"You paint 100 chimpanzees and they still call you a guerrilla artist”
It was seemingly inspired by an earlier piece from 2002 titled "Laugh Now," which was 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."
The auction catalogue touched on the Darwinistic symbolism in the way they wrote about the piece: [1]
"Throughout his career Banksy’s art has been frequently dismissed as crass or glib; yet in spite of this, his work can be seen to fit into a rich and venerable history of political parody.
From the British pictorial satirists of the Eighteenth Century, including Thomas Rowlandson, James Gillray and, of course, the great William Hogarth, through to the allegorical writings of George Orwell whose revolutionary novel Animal Farm similarly utilised zoological symbolism to critique modern society, and on to the political cartoonists of the present day, Banksy’s finest work is situated within an esteemed tradition of raising an unforgiving and illuminating mirror up to the world. "
Sale
On October 3rd, 2019 the piece sold for £9.9 million ($12.2 million) at Sotheby's in London, making it Banksy's most pricey artwork yet. The high price tag was influenced by the state of British politics and the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit deal. At the time of sale "Brexit day" was postponed until October 31st. [3]
The second highest price tag on a Banksy piece was $1,870,000 for the "Keep it Spotless" painting sold at Sotheby's New York in 2008. The third highest priced, and perhaps most entertaining piece, was Banksy's "Girl with Balloon" which sold for $1,400,000 and was immediately destroyed through a shredder and retitled "Love Is In The Bin" upon purchase. [3]