Banksy, the infamous and elusive street artist who has been making his mark on New York this month, has secretly donated a painting to a thrift store which is now up for auction to benefit a charity, and the funds are up to $300,000.

Banksy is most well-known for his creative stencils, which he leaves on various surfaces around the world. They are often humorous and sarcastic and, more often than not, give a political or social commentary. His painting is no different; after buying a landscape for $50 from a thrift shop in NYC, Banksy added a Nazi soldier sitting on a bench overlooking a peaceful scene. Titled “The Banality of the Banality of Evil”, the work was re-donated to the same shop with special instructions, and is now being auctioned off to benefit Housing Works, a nonprofit organization which benefits the homeless and people living with HIV and AIDS.

“A thrift store painting vandalised then re-donated to the thrift store,” Banksy captioned the work on his website.

The British artist has taken New York by storm in the past month, creating controversy with his work and with his little social experiments, such as the time he set up a booth on the street to sell some of his art at $60 a pop and only sold a few pieces because everyone thought they were knock-offs.

Image: Banksy.com