"Flower Girl," a delicate stencil on a massive brick wall by popular street artist Banksy, is displayed in a warehouse in the greater Los Angeles area Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013. The artist painted it on the side of a Los Angeles gas station in 2008. The building's owner carefully removed the wall section, which is 9 feet high, 8 feet wide and weighs nearly 5,000 pounds, framed it in sturdy aluminum and brought it to Julien's Auctions. Auctioneer Michael Doyle says the piece could fetch more than $300,000 at auction on Thursday, because, "Celebrities are Banksy-crazy." (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
December 06, 2013 - 9:12 AM
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - A mural stenciled on the side of a Hollywood gas station five years ago by the British street artist Banksy has fetched more than $200,000 at a Beverly Hills auction.
The 9-by-8 foot "Flower Girl" artwork sold for $209,000 on Thursday at an auction that featured nearly 100 works by more than 30 artists, according to the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1aFPMXw). The winning bid came from a Los Angeles buyer who requested anonymity.
The mural shows a little girl holding a flower basket under the eye of a surveillance camera planted atop a tall stalk.
The seller of the mural was Eytan Rosenberg, former owner of a gas station, who had allowed a group of three street artists to paint something on its white brick wall.
Rosenberg sold the gas station last year and painstakingly removed the artwork and installed it in a sturdy aluminum frame. He and his sister want to use the money from the sale to build a car wash.
Banksy, who refuses to reveal his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England. He is known for his silhouetted figures and spray-painted messages.
The highest known price for a Banksy work is about $1.1 million for a mural called "Slave Labor" that was auctioned in London in June.
Banksy's work has caught the eye of A-list Hollywood celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who recently bought a smaller piece for $1 million.
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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2013