A simple experimental art piece consisting of a banana attached to the wall with duct tape is expected to fetch over $1 million at auction this week.

As Maurizio Cattelan's artwork "Comedian," a banana duct-taped to a wall, goes to auction, here's a look back at how the banana became a beloved motif in the arts.Would you buy a banana for a million dollars?

Walk into any supermarket and you can generally buy a banana for less than $1. But a banana duct-taped to a wall? That might sell for more than $1 million at an upcoming auction at Sotheby’s in New York.

First causing a stir at Art Basel, Maurizio Cattelan's artwork "Comedian", made from a banana and tape, is expected to fetch $1 million at auction.

Maurizio Cattelan's artwork "Comedian," featuring a banana duct-taped to a wall, may sell for over $1 million at a Sotheby's auction.

Although the banana itself is perishable and will not be part of the sale, buyers will receive a certificate of authenticity that allows them to recreate the piece by placing a banana and duct tape on a wall themselves.

An urgent message to starving artists the world over–why eat your groceries if you can lob them on the wall for a $1,499,999 mark-up? The viral duct-taped banana art installation ‘Comedian’, brainchild of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan,

Remember this alleged work of art? Part of the shock of Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian' was that it sold for $120,000 in 2019 at Art Basel in Miami. 'Comedian' is once again up for auction at Sotheby's,

Walk into any supermarket and you can generally buy a banana for less than $1. But a banana duct-taped to a wall? That might sell for more than $1 million at an upcoming auction at Sotheby’s in New York.