Damien Hirst

Gagosian Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York

This work is in very good condition overall. There is a slight irregularity to the surface of the black paint at the bottom most point of the canvas, which appears inherent to the artist's working method. There is evidence of overall wear to the artist's chosen frame, which includes some surface abrasions to the Plexiglas and some possible repairs to the black surface. Please note this work was not inspected under Ultraviolet light inspection. Please note this work is being sold with an extra frame provided by the consignor.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

With its kaleidoscopic colors and pseudo religious glow, Beautiful Vision is one of the finest examples of Damien Hirst's iconic butterfly paintings. Set into a paint film of deep black gloss, the naturally saturated, exuberant hues of the butterflies' gossamer wings – iridescent and reflecting light – mesmerize the viewer. The experience of standing before this masterpiece is analogous to the reverence-inspiring sensation of standing below the great Gothic rose stained-glass windows found in the great cathedrals built in the Medieval ages. As the title of the work suggests, invoking bliss, beauty and exaltation, Hirst's evocation of the spiritual is intentional. Like numerous works in this magnificent series, designs are based on the hallowed stained-glass windows of Catholic churches and a geometric circular design is in fact based on a mandala, the Hindu and Buddhist charts which symbolically and metaphysically represent the cosmos, sansara and the cycle of life and rebirth. Used as a tool for focusing the mind as an aid to meditation and to help establish a sacred space, mandalas, like stained-glass windows, are designed to induce awe, in much the same way Beautiful Vision stuns the viewer into contemplation.

The incredibly complex composition of the present work results in a kaleidoscopic appearance that changes when viewed from different distances and perspectives. From afar, the individual wings resemble jewel-like tesserae in a mosaic, brimming with turquoise, azurite, amber and yellow sapphires, each intense color subservient to the chromatic design of the overarching principle. The blue butterflies, with iridescent wings as rich in hue as lapis-lazuli or azurite, reflect the light to such a degree that the surface scintillates and shimmers, so that the two rhombi within the circle appear and disappear as the viewer circumnavigates this shrine to color. Up close, instead of the lives of the saints or the teachings of the Buddha, it is the individual specimens that become discernible. A panoply of different species – some large some small, some brightly colored, others mottled – their fragile existence and brief lifespan suddenly become poignant in their enshrinement in household gloss. For Hirst, this moment of realization contains the oxymoronic beauty of horror, and horror of beauty. As ever in Hirst's work, beauty is laced with death.