It’s Banksy v Warhol in Phillips London Editions Sale

Has the image of Banksy’s Kate Moss surpassed Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe in market value? Banksy’s riff on one of Andy Warhol’s most famous images has become such a sought-after print that Phillips has an example on offer in its Editions sale in London January 19 and 20 that is estimated above comparable examples of the Warhol print. 

This sale comes as Phillips enters the new year with a strong tailwind in the print and multiples market. Last year, Phillips sold 45% more in value in its editions sales than the year before. That’s a huge jump even with the constraints of the pandemic upon 2020’s results. 

Primed with such demand, Phillips has Banksy’s Kate Moss (Purple/Orange) from 2005, and two Warhol Marilyn screen prints are on offer with estimates starting at £70,000 and £100,000 for the Warhols and £130,000 for the Banksy. Where the bidding stops will be seen next week in London.

Phillips has a few other well-timed works in the sale. The Royal Academy in London is about to open a show of Francis Bacon’s work entitled Francis Bacon: Man and Beast. To capitalize on the interest, Phillips has 10 Bacon works in the multiples sale. Three Studies for a Self Portrait comes to market with a £15,000 low estimate after the sale of another example in the 150-edition work sold at Sotheby’s in September for $42,344. Another example of Mirror de la Tauromachie will also be sold. It has an estimate of £30,000 which matches the price of two recent examples sold in the last two years. 

Phillips will also offer a Triptyque autoportrait without a published estimate. The last time an example of this work was sold publicly it made €8190 in Paris. 

Eager to connect its editions sales to broader public events, Phillips has brought together works to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee year, the 70th anniversary of her installation on the British throne. There’s a Warhol print of the Queen from 1985 with a £70,000 low estimate and a Richard Prince lithograph from his new portraits series of Instagram pastiches. 

The sale is a total of 355 lots offered in both Day and Evening sale events.