Name: The Souls IV (chocolate, silver gloss, leaf green)
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 5 (231 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Damien Hirst's The Souls IV (chocolate, silver gloss, leaf green) (signed) is estimated to be worth between £7,500 and £11,000. This foil block artwork, created in 2010, has shown consistent value growth, with an auction history of two total sales since its entry to the market on 14th June 2022. The hammer price over the past five years has ranged from £4,128 in October 2023 to £6,449 in June 2022. The average annual growth rate of this work is -2%. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 15.

Auction Date

Auction House

Location

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

October 2023

Phillips New York

United States

June 2022

Phillips London

United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

The Souls IV (chocolate, silver gloss, leaf green) is a foil block print from Damien Hirst’s The Souls series from 2010. The print shows a large butterfly with its wings outspread, set against a white backdrop. Depicted in chocolate brown, silver and green, the image of the butterfly is rendered with beautiful patterns on its wings, creating a highly aesthetic print.

Hirst is fascinated by religion and his work, like The Souls series, addresses the timeless endless renewing of faith in the face of mortality. The butterfly is used by the artist as a traditional symbol of the soul, and of the soul’s presence on Earth before transmigration to an afterlife. Thus, in the gallery space, The Souls create an all-encompassing effect that surrounds the viewer.

Speaking of the display of The Souls in the gallery space, Hirst has explained: “This comes from an idea to fill the gallery with butterflies, an idea that I’ve had before. When I think of ‘The Souls’ I think of Judgement Day and ‘Jacob’s ladder’. Many souls work better than one, so to hang them…and to use all the available space is great way of doing it theologically.”