New Beginnings 2
New Beginnings 2
Signed Print
Damien Hirst
£6,000-£9,000
$12,000-$18,000 Value Indicator
$11,000-$16,000 Value Indicator
¥60,000-¥80,000 Value Indicator
€7,000-€11,000 Value Indicator
$60,000-$90,000 Value Indicator
¥1,160,000-¥1,750,000 Value Indicator
$7,500-$11,500 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Block print
Edition size: 55
Year: 2011
Size: H 66cm x W 49cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
TradingFloor
Track this artwork in realtime
Watch artwork, manage valuations, track your portfolio and return against your collection
Track auction value trend
Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2017 | Forum Auctions London | United Kingdom | |||
| June 2013 | Uppsala Auktionskammare | Sweden |
Meaning & Analysis
New Beginnings 2 is one of six block prints in Damien Hirst’s New Beginnings series from 2011. The print shows a white butterfly with its wings outspread in the centre of a rectangular composition, against a lime green backdrop. The flat, block colour backdrop has an immediate and visceral visual impact set in contrast to the highly realistic depiction of the central butterfly motif.
The New Beginnings series is uplifting and bold in its subject matter and combination of colours. Combining the vernacular of the everyday with artificial colour, Hirst’s work appeals to a broad audience and the butterfly motif is used to convey seemingly universal themes surrounding love. Hirst has explained of the motif: “I think rather than be personal you have to find universal triggers: everyone’s frightened of glass, everyone’s frightened of sharks, everyone loves butterflies.”
Hirst repeats an almost formulaic composition across the entire series, showing a different species of butterfly in the centre of each print, with a brightly coloured backdrop. This repetition of subject and composition across an entire print series is reminiscent of the work of Pop artist Andy Warhol, making clear some of Hirst’s primary influences on his work.
