Cover Banksy's new artwork appeared at Southampton General Hospital and pays tribute to frontline healthcare workers. (Photo: Banksy/Instagram)

The latest guerilla artwork appeared at Southampton General Hospital earlier this week

For the second time so far during the pandemic, a brand new Bansky artwork has appeared in the street artist’s hometown… but this time, the artist didn’t ‘work from home’ like he did last month when his iconic street rats wreaked havoc in his bathroom. This time, the artist revealed an original work in the Southampton General Hospital.

The largely monochromatic painting, which has been referred to as Painting for Saints, appears to be a tribute to the U.K. 's National Health Service as well as frontline healthcare workers across the globe.

Painting for Saints depicts a young boy in overalls kneeling by a wastebasket as he plays with a new toy⁠—an NHS nurse⁠—while his older toys, superheroes Batman and Spiderman, appear to have been discarded. Dressed in a nurse’s cape, an apron with the Red Cross emblem, and a face mask, the doll’s arm is outstretched in a position resembling a classic Superman pose.

The anonymous artist also left a message of gratitude for the workers at the Southampton General Hospital that read: “Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white.”

“So proud to reveal this amazing piece of art Painting for Saints, created by Banksy as a thank you to all those who work with and for the NHS and our hospital,” said Paula Head, hospital chief executive at Southampton General Hospital in a statement on Twitter. “An inspirational backdrop to pause and reflect in these unprecedented times.”

The artwork was unveiled by the hospital this past Tuesday and will be on display in the lobby near the hospital’s emergency wing. According to BBC, the painting will remain in the hospital until this fall, when it will be auctioned to raise funds for the NHS Foundation.

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