Banksy's Girl With a Balloon print set to exceed its £100k estimate at Sotheby's auction

An original print of Banksy’s Girl With a Balloon is set to sell for more than double its estimated price at auction.

The successful bidder will be hoping to receive the artwork in one piece, after another print of the work was sensationally shredded immediately after being sold for over £1 million back in 2018. The work was then renamed Love In The Bin and described by Banksy as “the first artwork in history created live during an auction”.

Sotheby’s put the estimate for the print between £80,000 and £100,000, but bidding is currently at £280,000 with more than a day left before the auction closes. It is one of a number of Banksy prints available for bids.

The image of a girl watching a heart-shaped balloon float away is one of the anonymous street artist’s most famous designs, and was voted the nation’s favourite artwork in 2017 ahead of works by Turner and Constable. It was first seen on a wall by Waterloo Bridge in 2002 before a set of prints was created in 2003.

Banksy’s determination to conceal his identity recently resulted in him losing the copyright to his famous Flower Thrower work after he would not reveal his name in court. Last week, continued speculation as to who the street artist really is led to Art Attack presenter Neil Buchanan being forced to deny that he is Banksy.