Why is the For the Love of God collection important?

The iconography of the skull has become one of Hirst’s most celebrated motifs in his career. The sculpture, For the Love of God (2007), on which this print collection is based, has become iconic to Hirst’s name. Fascinated by death as a subject for artistic investigation, Hirst does not represent decay or fear of death with his diamond encrusted piece, but instead transforms this image of mortality into an aestheticized symbol. Hirst’s For the Love of God collection shows the duality that structures the core of human experience, depicting an object that represents the constant psychic tussle between life and death, beauty and decay, desire and fear, love and loss.

Why was For the Love of God by Damien Hirst controversial?

For the Love of God was controversial on a number of counts. Firstly, Hirst used an actual human skull. Secondly, he covered it with 8601 diamonds. Thirdly, in 2007 he claimed to sell the skull to a group of investors for USD $100 million. Finally, the artistic merit of the piece caused significant debate in the artworld & continues to do so till this day.

How much is the original 'For the Love of God' worth?

Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God, a platinum cast of an 18th century human skull encrusted with over 8000 diamonds and complete with authentic teeth, was recently thrust back into the limelight when it became apparent that its original sale never actually happened. So knowing its real worth, especially considering Hirst’s own inconsistent claims regarding its price, is no easy feat.

How do I buy a For the Love of God print?

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of buying work by Damien Hirst is by using us to reach a seller. MyArtBroker is a curated site, meaning we feature artists that our collectors say they want. You can find Damien Hirst art for sale here. You’ll need to create a free account to buy or sell with us.

How can I sell my For the Love of God print?

If you're looking to sell art by Damien Hirst, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.

For The Love Of God by Damien Hirst Buy & Sell

For
The Love Of God

Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God series contains screen-prints depicting his 2007 diamond-encrusted skull sculpture. In line with his career-long fascination with the intersection of religion, science and aesthetics, Hirst combines momento mori imagery, illustrious excess, and clinical composition into a symbolic synthesis of contemporary culture.

Meaning & Analysis

Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God is a selection of photorealistic prints depicting the artist’s infamous 2007 sculpture of the same name. The skull in each print is covered entirely with diamonds and set with a large stone in the centre of the forehead.

This central stone was inspired by Hirst’s childhood memories of the comic 2000 AD. which he explains “used to have a character in it called Tharg the Mighty who had a circle on his forehead. He was like a kind of powerful God-like figure who controlled the universe…It kind of just looked like it needed something. A third eye; a connection to Jesus and his dad.”

Aside from For the Love of God Beyond Belief, each print in this collection is a stylistically typical representation of Hirst’s famous skull sculpture. So, For the Love of God Beyond Belief is rather unusual with its highly expressive and uninhibited style, showing us a pair of sketches of human skulls that emphasise the presence of the artist’s hand. Each of these prints show the skull sculpture set against a black, white or grey backdrop, producing a monochrome effect across the entire collection.

As the title of the collection indicates, Hirst is fascinated by religion, and his work addresses the endless renewal of faith, even in the face of mortality. The iconography of the skull and the diamond in this collection synthesises Hirst’s fascination with the intersection between religion, aesthetics and science that govern humanity.

Moreover, the title of this collection and the original 2007 sculpture stem from exclamations that Hirst’s mother would make when hearing of his new works as a young artist. Hirst explains: ‘She used to say, “For the love of God, what are you going to do next!”’

The iconography of the skull has become one of Hirst’s most celebrated motifs in his career. The sculpture, For the Love of God (2007), on which this print collection is based, has become iconic to Hirst’s name. Fascinated by death as a subject for artistic investigation, Hirst does not represent decay or fear of death with his diamond encrusted piece, but instead transforms this image of mortality into an aestheticized symbol. Hirst’s For the Love of God collection shows the duality that structures the core of human experience, depicting an object that represents the constant psychic tussle between life and death, beauty and decay, desire and fear, love and loss.
Fascinated with the concept of death, the For the Love of God collection acts as a reminder that human existence on earth is transient. Hirst is known for drawing on longer traditions in art history and visual culture more broadly, notably with the iconography of the skull hinting towards the classic art historical subject of ‘memento mori’. Furthermore, Hirst in this collection takes inspiration from Aztec skulls and the Mexican outlook on death, drawing on the tradition of decoration.
Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God, a platinum cast of an 18th century human skull encrusted with over 8000 diamonds and complete with authentic teeth, was recently thrust back into the limelight when it became apparent that its original sale never actually happened. So knowing its real worth, especially considering Hirst’s own inconsistent claims regarding its price, is no easy feat.
In 2007, the now-unmistakable work was sold to anonymous investors for £50 million, or, so we thought. When asked in a 2022 New York Times profile, Hirst admitted the skull actually resides in a storage unit in London’s Hatton Garden, owned by the artist himself, the White Cube gallery and various smaller investors.
If you're looking to sell art by Damien Hirst, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.