Once 'toxic' print is now the star lot

A BANKSY that was once described as a picture that "absolutely no one wants to buy" is expected to make thousands in a spectacular auction of modern art in York on Friday.

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The limited edition print is Toxic Mary, the mysterious street artist's reimagination of the classic Madonna and child paintings of the Renaissance, a version in which Mary is feeding the infant Jesus with a bottle marked with a skull and crossbones.

Quite what message the image was intended to convey has been the subject of critical speculation and debate for more than 20 years (Banksy has never explained the picture.) Meanwhile it has been described as everything from a "beautiful masterpiece" to a shocking satirical poke at traditional religious art.