Damien Hirst Butterfly with Hearts – Signed Original Ink Drawing on Paper





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Description


Damien Hirst (British, b. 1965)
Butterfly with Hearts

Signed Original Ink Drawing on Paper | Contemporary British Art

Highlights

• Presented and catalogued as an original ink drawing by Damien Hirst.
• Depicts Hirst’s celebrated butterfly motif flanked by two small hearts.
• Signed in black ink to the lower right.
• Acquired through Adam Partridge Auctioneers.
• Accompanied by provenance documentation statement issued by The Prince of Cards.
• Loaned & exhibited in Icons of Transformation: Contemporary Works on Paper at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, March 2026.
• Recently professionally mounted and framed.
• Presented in a Larson-Juhl gilt moulded frame with a gold-edged white mount.
• Glazed with AR99 museum-quality anti-reflective glass.
• Supplied with new hanging fittings and ready for immediate display.

Introduction

An intimate and expressive black ink drawing on paper, presented and catalogued as an original work by internationally celebrated British artist Damien Hirst.

The composition depicts a butterfly positioned centrally between two small heart motifs. Through economical line and a carefully balanced arrangement, the drawing brings together several enduring themes associated with Hirst’s practice, including beauty, transformation, mortality and the fragility of natural life.

The addition of the two hearts introduces an appealing emotional dimension, associating the butterfly not only with transience and metamorphosis but also with affection, vulnerability and human connection.

Catalogue Details

Artist: Damien Hirst (British, b. 1965)

Title: Butterfly with Hearts

Medium: Black ink on paper

Subject: Butterfly with two heart motifs

Signature: Signed in black ink to the lower right

Presentation: Professionally mounted and framed beneath AR99 museum-quality anti-reflective glass

Certificate: Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by The Prince of Cards

Catalogue Note

The drawing is executed with directness and economy, relying entirely upon line, gesture and open space. The butterfly is described through an appealing combination of symmetry and expressive freedom, with variations in line weight contributing movement and individuality.

Positioned on either side of the butterfly, the two smaller hearts create a gentle visual rhythm while softening the graphic character of the central image. Their inclusion gives the composition a distinctly personal and emotive quality.

The use of black ink on paper provides an immediacy different from Hirst’s larger studio-produced compositions. Subtle variations in pressure and the natural absorption of the ink preserve the physical character of the drawing process.

The butterfly has occupied an important place within Hirst’s visual language since the early 1990s. Frequently associated with beauty, transformation and mortality, it remains one of the artist’s most immediately recognisable motifs.

The Artist

Damien Hirst was born in Bristol in 1965 and became a leading figure among the Young British Artists who emerged during the late 1980s and 1990s.

His multidisciplinary practice encompasses painting, sculpture, installation and works on paper, frequently examining mortality, belief, science, medicine, beauty and the human desire to understand or control death.

Butterflies recur throughout Hirst’s work as objects of both visual beauty and symbolic complexity. Their delicate physical existence and association with metamorphosis allow them to embody the tension between life and death that lies at the centre of much of his artistic practice.

His work is represented in numerous major public and private collections internationally.

Provenance

Private Shire Collection, United Kingdom.

Acquired through Adam Partridge Auctioneers.

Privately Loaned & Exhibited: Icons of Transformation: Contemporary Works on Paper, With the Famous Lord Hill Museum, March 2026.

Accompanied by a provenance document statement issued by The Prince of Cards.

Framing

Recently presented in a Larson-Juhl gilt moulded frame with a refined classical profile.

A white mount with gold fillet provides separation between the paper and frame, directing attention towards the central composition while complementing the monochromatic drawing.

The work is protected by AR99 museum-quality anti-reflective glass and is supplied with new hanging fittings, ready for immediate display.

Dimensions

Image:
27 cm wide × 20 cm high

Framed:
51.25 cm wide × 43.25 cm high × 3.5 cm deep

All measurements are approximate.

Condition Report

The drawing is in good overall condition.

There is light surface wear to the paper, including a small unobtrusive indentation and minor wear around the edges of the sheet. These characteristics are consistent with previous handling and do not significantly affect the presentation of the work.

The black ink remains strong, clear and well preserved. The drawing has recently been professionally mounted and framed with a clean white mount, gold fillet and AR99 museum-quality anti-reflective glass.

Please review all listing photographs carefully, as they form part of the condition report. Further photographs and information are available upon request.



Reserve: $9,180.00

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