Banksy’s identity has long been the subject of speculation and investigation, and the time has come when the mysterious artist may be forced to reveal his real name if a controversy over a work depicting the Queen Elizabeth as a monkey with jewelry, eventually end up in court.

Specifically, two art collectors are taking legal action against the graffiti artist’s Pest Control company, after it apparently refused to confirm the Monkey Queen authenticity. After three years of trying to get an answer, Nicky Katz and Ray Howse have lost patience and are suing Pest Control for breach of contract.

They point to Pest Control’s website, which says it will issue a certificate of authenticity for “paintings, prints, sculptures and other creative endeavors.”

Banksy himself has described himself as “quality vandal” which ridicules figures of authority through works of art in public spaces. His partially fragmented Love is in the Bin painting sold for more than £18.5 million at auction in 2021, while signed prints of it sell for five and six figures. Pest Control was founded by the artist in 2008 after selling fake prints online and plays a key role in marketing his work. A certificate of authenticity is vital to achieving the maximum price when selling one’s works as claimed.

Banksy’s true identity has been a famous mystery among the media and the public for decades. Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, Gorillaz’ Jamie Hewlett and Neil Buchanan, the former Art Attack TV presenter, are all suspected.

Read more at monopoli.gr