Now you see it, now you don't . . . and now you do again. A large-scale artwork by Banksy, the "guerrilla" graffiti artist, disappeared last weekend after a rival graffiti artist sprayed white paint over it.

Just as everyone assumed that the original work - painted on the wall of an arts centre two years ago - was beyond saving, it somehow materialised again yesterday.

Image
©Unknown
A mural of a maid sweeping by the graffiti artist Banksy on the corner of Regents Park Road in London


The stencilled figure of a chambermaid appearing to lift up part of the wall like a curtain to sweep away some dust is protected by both the Roundhouse arts centre, northwest London, on whose wall it is painted, and Camden council, which spends thousands of pounds removing graffiti from its streets.

Whether someone removed the white paint or painted a new version of the Banksy work is unclear.

Banksy, who insists on anonymity, enhanced his reputation in a more conventional way on Thursday night, when one of his works sold at auction at Sotheby's in New York for a record price. Keep it Spotless, a spray-painted canvas depicting a chambermaid appearing to lift up a Damien Hirst spot painting to reveal a brick wall, was sold for £950,300. A year ago the most that had been paid for a work by Banksy was £102,000.