Name: For The Love of God, Enlightenment
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 4.9 (228 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Damien Hirst’s For The Love of God, Enlightenment (signed) is estimated to be worth between £5,500 and £8,500. This screenprint, created in 2014, has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 1%. This work has an auction history of three sales since its entry to the market in February 2015. The hammer price over the past five years has ranged from £4,150 in October 2018 to £6,100 in March 2022. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 250.

Auction Date

Auction House

Artwork

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

December 2021

Bonhams New Bond Street - United Kingdom

For The Love of God, Enlightenment - Signed Print

November 2015

Sotheby's New York - United States

For The Love of God, Enlightenment - Signed Print

February 2015

Christie's New York - United States

For The Love of God, Enlightenment - Signed Print

Meaning & Analysis

For The Love of God, Enlightenment is one of several prints by Damien Hirst that depicts the artist’s 2007 sculpture, also entitled For The Love Of God. It was produced in 2014, showing a frontal, photorealistic image of the sculpture. The skull sits in front of a shimmering background and appears to be looking directly at the viewer.

Hirst has used diamonds in several of his works throughout his career. He understands them as an expression of wealth and perfection. However, he has questioned whether diamonds are “just a bit of glass, with accumulated metaphorical significance? Or [whether they] are genuine objects of supreme beauty connected with life.” This debate has motivated his exploration of their use in the sculpture, For The Love Of God. Subsequently, prints that he has produced of the sculpture would further explore this subject. The work also alludes to a religious preoccupation that is evident in much of Hirst’s art. For instance, several other series including the Cathedral collection make clear his religious interests.

Noteworthy in the For The Love Of God, Enlightenment print is the scale the skull occupies. It takes up a large amount of the sheet. Here the viewer is invited to explore the scull in close detail. The 8,601 diamonds and the large diamond in the forehead are perfectly displayed to the viewer. The background of the print achieves a similar visual effect to the diamonds. It is a shimmering black and grey which makes the elaborate skull appear less incongruous.