Name: The Souls III (gunmetal, silver gloss, oriental gold)
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 4.9 (226 reviews)

Track auction value trend

Damien Hirst's The Souls III (gunmetal, silver gloss, oriental gold) (signed) from 2010 is a rare artwork with an estimated value between £7,500 and £11,500. This Foil Block print is a part of a limited edition of 15 and has shown consistent value growth. This work is a popular choice, having been sold twice at auction since its initial sale in May 2016. The hammer price has remained stable and this artwork is a strong addition to any collection.

Auction Date

Auction House

Artwork

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

September 2017

Leonard Joel, Melbourne - Australia

The Souls III (gunmetal, silver gloss, oriental gold) - Signed Print

May 2016

Swann Auction Galleries - United States

The Souls III (gunmetal, silver gloss, oriental gold) - Signed Print

Meaning & Analysis

The Souls III (gunmetal, silver gloss, oriental gold) is a print from Damien Hirst’s extensive series, The Souls, from 2010. The print shows a large butterfly with its wings outspread, set against a white backdrop. Depicted in gunmetal, silver and gold, the image of the butterfly has been rendered flat and simplified into block colours, obscuring the fine detail of the real butterfly wings.

Reminiscent of the work of Pop artist Andy Warhol, Hirst creates a vast series of prints, each with the same subject and composition. There are four species of butterflies depicted across The Souls series, each print showing one, within which there are 80 colour variations, each presented as an edition of 15. Hirst uses a foil block printing technique to give his butterflies a shimmering effect to represent the way their wings would reflect the light.

The butterfly motif is a prominent figure that Hirst has used throughout his career to bring together themes around morality, life, love, faith and aesthetics. Speaking of his obsession with butterflies Hirst has explained, “I think rather than be personal you have to find universal triggers: everyone’s frightened of glass, everyone’s frightened of sharks, everyone loves butterflies.”