Sale of Banksy’s ‘chimp’ painting for $12.1million catapults him into big league

This time it was the bidding that made people gasp. Banksy, the world’s most famous street artist, joined the ranks of the world’s most expensive artists on Thursday night when his 2009 satirical painting, “Devolved Parliament,” sold for about $12.1 million at Sotheby’s, setting an auction high for his work.