A bouquet of wilted and sad flowers sits sadly in a vase having lost its petals in a painting which is the complete opposite of Van Gogh’s famous still life of a bouquet of full sunflowers.
But the work is a Banksy – and it’s priced up to £ 13.2million, according to a valuation by auction house Christie’s.
The painting, titled Gas Station Sunflowers, is sold by fashion designer Sir Paul Smith.
The 2005 artwork will be on display in Los Angeles and Hong Kong before it goes on sale in New York next month.
Katharine Arnold, Christie’s Head of Postwar and Contemporary Art in Europe, said: “The artwork is an icon in Banksy’s work, capturing not only his ease as a painter, but also the humor he brings to world issues.
“Here, the pure comedy of faded flowers bought at a gas station becomes a way of highlighting our relationship to art and the environment: both, he recalls, are ephemeral.
Christie’s valued the painting at between £ 8.8m and £ 13.2m.
Sir Paul said: ‘What initially drew me to Banksy was his confidence and clarity in communicating something exactly as it is, I was so impressed with his observations on what was going on in the world and this remains true of the work he does today.
“His political statements are very relevant, really deep, really courageous and always delivered in a modern way.
“I was delighted to have the opportunity to own some of his work and the sunflower itself presents a brilliantly unique way of thinking about it.”
The auction on November 9 follows the record-breaking sale of Game Changer, another major Banksy oil on canvas, in March.
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