After the banana was snatched and gulped down by a fellow artist, it was indeed replaced, but not before an activist vandalized the exhibit, writing “Epstien [sic] didn’t kill himself” in lipstick on the wall. The conceptual piece, from that point onward had to be guarded by security, eventually sold for $120,000.

This year has seen some of the worst sales in decades for the art market, and the “Comedian” piece is unlikely to move the needle one way or the other.

Comedian,” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was a phenomenon when it debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach.

The buyer purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives them the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it 'Comedian'

Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian,' a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby's auction. The artwork, purchased by Justin Sun, sparked debate about the nature of modern art. While some saw it as a social commentary,

Artist Maurizio Cattelan's "Comedian" piece - which is a banana stuck to a wall with silver duct tape - which debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach has fetched more than $6million at auction