Banksy mural Kissing Coppers fetches $575,000 at Miami auction, others fail to meet asking prices

Art by Banksy may be beloved in the art world, but an auction in Miami showed that some collectors are not willing to shell out the big bucks for his work. While his iconic Kissing Coppers mural sold for $575,000, two works from his New York bonanza last year failed to meet reserve prices.

Kissing Coppers is a black and white stencil piece that features two policemen kissing. As the Telegraph notes, it showed up on the Prince Albert Pub’s wall in Brighton, England in 2004. It was removed in 2011 and art dealer Stephan Keszler bought it, transporting it to the U.S. It was expected to sell between $500,000 and $700,000 at the Fine Arts Miami auction.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, it was purchased by an anonymous bidder over the phone.

The other two pieces at the auction were Bandaged Heart Balloon and Crazy Horse Car Door, which were made in New York during Banksy’s “art show” last year. The asking prices were $200,000 and $100,000, respectively, but neither hit the asking price.

The Miami auction organizers said that the Banksy pieces were offered by an anonymous private collector, not Keszler, who has a Manhattan art gallery known for dealing Banksy’s work. Keszler has famously had other Banksy works removed to sell at auction.

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