(Courthouse News) Original satirical drawings and sketches of the Prophet Muhammad that threw Denmark into a diplomatic crisis in the 2000s are now set for sale.
On Tuesday, gallery KW ICONS auctioned 21 creations by cartoonist Kurt Westergaard including his controversial drawing of the Muslim prophet first published in the Danish national newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 2005. The drawing sparked an international debate on the right to free speech.
Prices on the original drawings start at 200,000 euros ($216,000) with KW ICONS expecting the price to rise as several international bidders have shown interest including people from the U.S., gallery owner Erik Guldager told Danish newspaper Berlingske.
“I have never tried anything like it. It is a very big event. That drawing has been a crank for freedom of expression,” said Guldager.
