The Dead (silver gloss, Westminster blue)
The Dead (silver gloss, Westminster blue)
Signed Print
Damien Hirst
£4,100-£6,000Value Indicator
$8,500-$12,500 Value Indicator
$7,500-$11,000 Value Indicator
¥40,000-¥60,000 Value Indicator
€4,850-€7,000 Value Indicator
$45,000-$60,000 Value Indicator
¥800,000-¥1,180,000 Value Indicator
$5,500-$8,000 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
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Medium: Foil Block
Edition size: 15
Year: 2009
Size: H 72cm x W 51cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | Phillips London | United Kingdom | |||
| September 2020 | Galerie Kornfeld | Germany | |||
| June 2018 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| June 2018 | Phillips London | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
The Dead (silver gloss, Westminster blue) is a signed foil block print in colours on Arches paper produced by renowned contemporary artist, Damien Hirst. In the print, Hirst renders a skull in silver gloss with bold Westminster blue shading. Set against a white background, the minimalist design produces a floating effect, as the skull appears to float in the centre of the composition, staring out at the viewer of the print.
Produced by Hirst in 2009, the print is one of thirty-one prints that compose The Dead series. As the title of the series suggests, death is a central theme in the series. Each print shows the same skull, with variety coming from the unique combination of colours Hirst uses in each print. The skull, a memento mori which reminds the viewer of the inevitability of death, is a symbol that has become universally recognised as representing death.
Death is often the subject of Hirst’s artworks. Hirst is famous for his works that use dead insects or dead animals preserved in formaldehyde. When discussing why death plays such a central role in his artworks, Hirst explains: “you can frighten people with death or an idea of their own mortality, or it can actually give them vigour.”
Damien Hirst, born in Bristol in 1965, is often hailed the enfant terrible of the contemporary art world. His provocative works challenge conventions and his conceptual brilliance spans installations, paintings, and sculptures, often exploring themes of mortality and the human experience. As a leading figure of the Young British Artists (YBA) movement in the late '80s, Hirst's work has dominated the British art scene for decades and has become renowned for being laced with controversy, thus shaping the dialogue of modern art.
