Tribulation
Tribulation
Signed Print
Damien Hirst
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47 x 39cm, Edition of 45, Etching
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Meaning & Analysis
Tribulation is a signed etching produced by renowned contemporary artist, Damien Hirst. Made in 2009, the print depicts a beautiful butterfly. The green butterfly is set against a black backdrop. The contrast between the luminous green and dark black is striking, and the viewer’s attention is immediately drawn towards the fascinating pattern that spreads across the insect’s wings
Tribulation can be viewed alongside the other etchings in Hirst’s Butterfly series. Each print in the series is dedicated to showcasing the magnificence of butterflies and their natural beauty. The butterfly has a significant symbolic heritage and has often been used as a symbol of love, regeneration, freedom, fortune, spirituality and death. Many of these symbolic uses are referenced by Hirst in the etchings’ titles.
Hirst often incorporates butterflies into his artworks and the insect has become closely associated with the artist and his visual language. Alongside skulls and diamonds, butterflies are one of the artist's most well-known motifs. Hirst was drawn to butterflies because of the way they retain an iridescent beauty even in death. Hirst argues that butterflies embody the fragility of life and are therefore a means for him to explore questions of life and death in his artworks.