Name: Benedictus Dominus (diamond dust)
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Damien Hirst's Benedictus Dominus (diamond dust) is estimated to be worth between £17,000 and £26,000. This signed screenprint, created in 2009, has an impressive auction history, having been sold 7 times at auction since its initial sale on 16th September 2010. The hammer price over the past five years has ranged from £8,470 in October 2017 to £20,800 in February 2022. The average annual growth rate of this work is 16% and the edition size is limited to 50.

Meaning & Analysis

Benedictus Dominus is a silkscreen print with glaze created by renowned contemporary artist, Damien Hirst in 2009. In this print, Hirst produces an intricate pattern formed of concentric circles made out of butterfly wings. The luminosity of the white and blue butterfly wings contrast with the dark background they are set against. The hypnotic effect of the pattern is captivating. In the centre of the composition is a white butterfly.

The print is part of the artist’s Psalms series. In this series, which the artist started in 2008, Hirst produces various patterned canvases, all of which use butterflies as their main stylistic element. The prints in the series are all named after a psalm from the Old Testament, emblematic of Hirst’s interest in contemporary belief systems, such as religion. The Psalms are part of a broader series, the Kaleidoscope series, an impressive project dating back to 2001, which was inspired by the intricate pattern of butterfly wings Hirst saw on an old Victoria tea tray.

Hirst has been drawn to butterflies since the start of his artistic career in the late 1980s when he was studying Fine Art at Goldsmiths College. Hirst describes the insect as a “universal trigger,” arguing that “Everyone’s frightened of glass, everyone’s frightened of sharks, everyone loves butterflies.”