Banksy’s ‘Well Hung Lover’ to Be Auctioned With the Building It Was Painted On in the UK

In the UK, one of Banksy's paintings is being auctioned alongside the Grade II listed Georgian building in Bristol, located just off Park Street, next to Bristol Cathedral and the University of Bristol, on which it was painted. The auction will be broadcast live and is scheduled to take place on 12 February, The Guardian reports. 

The work, known as Well Hung Lover, shows an image of a man hanging from a window ledge as a deceived rival searches for him, while a woman stands nearby in the window.

The work was created in 2006 on the wall of a sexual health clinic, which is a highly symbolic place. The basement functions as a nightclub, but the real estate agent says it could be converted into student flats or flats.

It is also noted that Bristol City Council does not have an official policy on street art, whether it is Banksy or anyone else.

 ‘It is recognised that street art is not created as a permanent work of art, but as a form of protest, which is usually, but not always, created illegally and without the permission of the building owner. Thus, the life of any image as a work of art will evolve and change over time, depending on how the work endures, whether it is actually painted over or removed later,’ the statement said. 

According to the city council, the buyer will be required to accept a restrictive covenant in the lease agreement that ensures that the image cannot be removed from the building, but the seller will not require the buyer to affirmatively undertake to maintain or insure the artwork as long as it remains visible and in place on the building.