Damien Hirst, Direct to Auction
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Damien Hirst said he will offer a sculpture of a gold-trimmed bull that he expects to fetch up to $23.5 million at a Sotheby’s London auction of his works in September.
The Beautiful Inside My Head Forever auction on September 15 and 16 is Sotheby’s second sale of works by Britain’s richest artist. The New York-based Sotheby’s will offer a range of pieces in various media created by Mr. Hirst in the last two years, the company said in an e-mail statement today.
Its centerpiece is “The Golden Calf,” a gold-framed, 10-foot-long glass box containing a formaldehyde-dipped bull, whose head is crowned with a solid gold disc. Its hooves and horns are cast in 18-carat gold.
“It’s a very democratic way to sell art,” Mr. Hirst said in his joint statement with Sotheby’s. “It feels like a natural evolution for contemporary art.”
In October 2004, the artist sold the contents of his defunct Notting Hill restaurant Pharmacy for $21.89 million, more than double the $9.66 million top estimate.
“After the success of the Pharmacy Sale, I always felt I would like to do another auction,” Mr. Hirst said. The Sunday Times of London’s 2008 Rich List estimates he is worth $400 million.
In August 2007, London’s White Cube dealership announced Mr. Hirst was part of the investment group that bought his diamond-encrusted platinum skull, “For the Love of God.”
