Name: H4-7 Ryoanji
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 5 (231 reviews)

Meaning & Analysis

H4-7 Ryoanji is a signed giclée print produced by contemporary British artist Damien Hirst in 2008. In this print, which comes in an edition size of 75, Hirst creates a composition made out of thick brushstrokes and dabs of heavy impasto. The composition is dominated by red but hints of green, yellow, blue and pink paint can be detected beneath the red. The layers of paint draw attention to the texture and the various stages of the work’s composition.

The print is part of Hirst’s Veils collection which was inspired by the concept of a veil. In particular, Hirst was drawn to the way in which a veil acts as a barrier between two things and can both reveal yet also obscure the truth. The layering of paint in these compositions produces a series of veils that obscure whatever lies beneath the surface of the composition.

Hirst’s style of painting in H4-7 Ryoanji marks a distinct break from the almost scientific precision of his Spot paintings and the intricate patterns of his Kaleidoscope series. There is a much more abstract and loose quality to these artworks which resonates with the works of Impressionist and Abstract Expressionist artists like Pierre Bonnard. The incorporation of spots of paint in this painting also resonates with the Pointillist movement which was developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signanc.