Providence
Providence
Signed Print
Damien Hirst
£4,850-£7,500Value Indicator
$10,500-$16,000 Value Indicator
$9,000-$14,000 Value Indicator
¥45,000-¥70,000 Value Indicator
€5,500-€9,000 Value Indicator
$50,000-$80,000 Value Indicator
¥920,000-¥1,420,000 Value Indicator
$6,500-$9,500 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren't enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Etching
Edition size: 45
Year: 2009
Size: H 31cm x W 25cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
Track this artwork in realtime
Watch artwork, manage valuations, track your portfolio and return against your collection
Track auction value trend
Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | Cottone Auctions | United States | |||
| October 2022 | Sotheby's New York | United States | |||
| April 2022 | Bonhams Knightsbridge | United Kingdom | |||
| October 2019 | Phillips New York | United States | |||
| June 2019 | Cornette de Saint Cyr Brussels | Belgium | |||
| June 2018 | Ketterer Kunst Hamburg | Germany | |||
| June 2016 | Ketterer Kunst Hamburg | Germany |
Meaning & Analysis
Providence is a signed etching produced by renowned contemporary artist, Damien Hirst. The print, made in 2009, shows a large blue butterfly which is rendered against a plain black backdrop. The close-up image of the butterfly is striking and captures the natural beauty of the insect. The shimmering blue of the butterfly’s wings contrasts with the dark backdrop, and the plain background encourages the viewer to appreciate the minuscule details that mark the butterfly’s wings.
The butterfly has become an iconic part of Hirst’s visual language. Along with skulls and diamonds, butterflies are often incorporated into Hirst’s artworks and used to explore themes of life, death and religion. Other artworks made by Hirst which use butterflies are the H7 series, the Psalms series and the Souls series. The Kaleidoscope series is Hirst’s most well-known example of using butterflies in his art. Inspired by the beautiful pattern on an old Victorian tea tray, Hirst was fascinated by the way the insect could be used to create intricate patterns.
Hirst has been interested in butterflies for a long time and began using them in his work as early as 1989. The artist calls the insect a “universal trigger,” elaborating that “everyone’s frightened of glass, everyone’s frightened of sharks, everyone loves butterflies.”
Damien Hirst, born in Bristol in 1965, is often hailed the enfant terrible of the contemporary art world. His provocative works challenge conventions and his conceptual brilliance spans installations, paintings, and sculptures, often exploring themes of mortality and the human experience. As a leading figure of the Young British Artists (YBA) movement in the late '80s, Hirst's work has dominated the British art scene for decades and has become renowned for being laced with controversy, thus shaping the dialogue of modern art.