03 January 2023 , 13:00
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Locals have been speculating whether Banksy is behind a new piece of street art in Bath.
A mural showing a young girl blowing a paper boat appeared in the historic city over the New Year, prompting excitement that the elusive artist may have paid a visit to the region.
The new work is located near the city centre on the end of a row of shops at Cleveland Place.
If the work is confirmed to be by Banksy, it would not be the first time he has visited the south-west.
Several of the artist's pieces can be seen on the streets of Bristol, including the Girl with the Pierced Eardrum and the Grim Reaper.
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Could the elusive street artist have made a visit to the historic city of Bath over the New Year? (Neville Batchelor)He also took over the Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare for his bemusement park Dismaland in 2015.
Somerset Live reports that Neville Batchelor spotted the artwork and sent pictures to the news desk.
Neville said: “A piece of artwork has appeared on the side of the building leaving neighbours to speculate that it could be the work of elusive artist Banksy.
“The mural is in the distinctive style of Banksy.”
Dismasland, an art installation at disused lido which ran at the seafront site for five weeks, attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors including A-list celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Russell Brand.
The colourful pinwheel, which featured as part of the exhibition, has recently been restored and is now on display in Weston Museum.
Artworks bearing a resemblance to the style of Bansky have also appeared at other locations across Somerset including Weston’s Birnbeck Pier, bus stops in Brean and a cafe in Burnham-on-Sea over the years.
None of those artworks were ever confirmed as being the work of the artist.
No one has yet come forward to claim responsibility for the recent artwork in Bath.
Three weeks ago, Banksy announced via his official Instagram account that he was selling 50 screenprints to raise money for people in Ukraine.
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