A Banksy mural titled ‘Well Hung Lover’ is set to be auctioned along with the Bristol building on whose wall it is.
‘Well Hung Mural’ first appeared on a building in Bristol in 2006. The mural depicted a naked man hanging outside the window while his lover and rival were inside. Coincidentally, the building also operated a sexual health clinic; Banksy denied being aware of this connection when he made the mural.
Now, the building, which is a Grade II Gregorian building, is set to be sold next year. Hollis Morgan, the real estate agent in charge, is selling the property – along with the mural on its wall – on a 250-year lease. When asked about what would happen to the artwork, Morgan acknowledged that street artworks like murals do not enjoy the same legal protection as other artworks do. “It is recognised that street art is created not 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 owner of the building,” said Morgan.
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Currently, the asking price for the entire building is about $900,000. This seems like a huge bargain, given that the most expensive Banksy work ever sold fetched $23.5 million. However, for potential buyers hoping to financially profit from the “Well Hung Lover” mural of the iconic artist, Hollis Morgan has bad news. The agent specified that he would include a clause in the sales contract that would prohibit any future buyer from removing the mural from the wall. However, the contract would not force the buyers to maintain and safeguard the mural.
