* ROSS MUIR (SCOTTISH b. 1981), THEY TOOK THE BAIT

artist's proof giclee print on paper, signed, titled and inscribed A/P mounted, framed and under glass image size 53cm x 90cm, overall size 77cm x 114cm Note 1: a certificate of authenticity is included with this lot. Note 2: Glasgow artist Ross Muir hit the headlines in 2018 when his original painting of the Dutch impressionist Vincent van Gogh, entitled ?Square Gogh?, went viral within a matter of days. Muir?s wide-spread success on social media saw many galleries interested in his work. In October 2019, Muir had his first ever solo exhibition in Glasgow?s City Centre. The exhibition was a huge success and was sold-out before even opening the doors. A second solo show in Glasgow was scheduled for 2020 but the pandemic put everything on hold. Throughout the first national lockdown, Muir turned his creativity to the streets, with posters of his signature Vincent Van Gogh portrait ? featuring the words ?Just Gogh Hame? ? appearing all over the city of Glasgow. As a message that was both witty and incredibly relevant, Muir?s artwork resonated with its onlookers and soon garnered international attention through social media. In 2020, Muir?s work was recognised by the official Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, with the institution proudly posting Muir?s artwork on their Instagram account to announce the temporary closing of the gallery. In 2021 Maddox Gallery (London) "signed" Muir and he joined a roster of artists which includes The Conner Brothers, Bradley Theodore and Joseph Klibansky, alongside established names like RETNA, the photographer David Yarrow, and world-renowned figures such as Banksy, KAWS, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. The influential Maddox Gallery staged Ross Muir's first London show in May 2022.