Banksy’s latest piece of artwork has been unveiled – and internet sleuths were quick to establish its location.
The black and white stencil graffiti depicts a lighthouse with light beaming from its tower, with the caption: “I want to be what you saw in me.”
The lighthouse rises from the shadow of a bollard which it stands next to.
Banksy posted the artwork on his Instagram on Thursday with two photos, one showing just the artwork and another with two people walking their dogs.
Many online were quick to identify the location of the artwork as Marseille, the southern French city which is renowned for its street art.
The mural is situated on Rue Félix Freiger, a road near the coast and the town’s city centre.
The quote on the wall may have been inspired by a song by Tennessee-based country band Lonestar, called “Softly”, which features the lyric: “I want to be what you see in me. I want to love you the way that you love me.”
London-based art dealer MyArtBroker wrote on its website: “The location of the mural is unlikely to be incidental. Marseille – France’s oldest port and among its most multicultural cities – has long been a point of arrival and transition.
“Its neighbourhoods, from Le Panier to Belle de Mai, are marked by layers of street art and histories shaped by working-class resilience and immigrant communities. The city’s social fabric resonates with Banksy’s ongoing interest in marginalised voices and overlooked narratives.”
The Bristol graffiti artist has seen his works fetch millions at auction, and led to speculation over his identity.
Last year, a variety of animal-themed Banksy works, including a rhino seemingly mounting a silver Nissan Micra, two elephant silhouettes with their trunks stretched out towards each other, and three monkeys that looked as though they were swinging on a bridge, were found dotted across London.
Since putting one up of a gorilla lifting the shutter at London Zoo, Banksy has also posted another image, of a Madonna with baby Jesus and what looks like a bullet hole. The lighthouse is his latest image.
