Yahoo News 'Banksy' artwork of old woman sneezing appears on side of house in Bristol
A new piece of art has appeared on the side of a house in Bristol, sparking rumours it could be a Banksy.
An image of an old woman sneezing without covering her mouth has been spotted on a wall in the Totterdown area – in a possible nod to the current health crisis.
The elusive artist is from the city and is known for creating new works without anyone catching him in the act.
Crowds are already gathering at the bottom of Vale Street – one of Britain's steepest roads – to take pictures and discuss.
The PA news agency understands the property which now bears the artwork was recently put up for sale.
Fred Loosemore, 28, a furniture maker who rented a room in the property until recently, said he would screw a piece of clear acrylic over the artwork to protect it.
He told PA: “We wanted to come up because people will deface it, and luckily we’ve got a workshop and a massive piece of acrylic we’ve got left over. We’re going to screw it on now.
“When we lived here so many people would come, especially on bikes and stuff because they were trying to do the challenge up the hills. It’s a great spot.
“The artwork is so nice. It’s so relevant, isn’t it?”
Banksy often takes credit for his pieces by posting on his Instagram page, although this can sometimes take days.
His most recent work was a hula-hooping girl next to a bike on a street in Nottingham in October.
The tongue-in-cheek artwork first appeared on a brick wall on the side of a beauty parlour in the residential street on 13 October.
Banksy claimed credit for the work via Instagram, sparking a stream of visitors, with the council fitting a protective transparent covering over the mural.
Read more:
The Tier 3 COVID lockdown rules explained
The Tier 2 COVID lockdown rules explained
The screen had to be cleaned after being repeatedly graffitied.
A bicycle that made up part of the artwork went missing six weeks after the painting appeared, with some fearing it may have been stolen.
A replacement bike later appeared next to the bike.
