Damien Hirst

Acquired from the artist by the present owner

Colour: The colour in the catalogue illustration is fairly accurate, although it fails to convey the iridescent nature of some of the butterflies. Condition: Please refer to the department for a professional condition report.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A jubilant chorus of shimmering blue and canary yellow butterflies, Catechesis is an exquisite example of Damien Hirst’s spellbinding Kaleidoscope paintings. The series begun in 2001 when Hirst became entranced by the sight of a Victorian tea tray: from these relatively humble beginnings the artist has crafted paintings of breath-taking complexity and beauty. Radiating with the celestial beauty of a stained glass window, the present work comprises thousands of individual and delicately patterned butterfly wings laid on a monochromatic surface. Religious reference is rife in the present work owing to the choice of title: ‘catechesis’ is the basic Christian religious education of children and adults. Indeed, the Kaleidoscope paintings serve as a meditation on the most important on-going themes within the artist’s work, namely science, death and religion. An investigation of the latter in particular has been one of the most important recurring subjects through which Hirst has questioned belief systems and attitudes to mortality. In a recent interview Hirst discussed the redemptive powers of art and his belief that art should be an affirmative force: “Art’s got to be positive, even if it’s about negative things… I think you can always apply art to life in a positive way” (Damien Hirst in conversation with Nicholas Serota, in: Exh. Cat., London, Tate Modern, Damien Hirst, 2012, p. 97).

Aside from the cosmetic connection to church windows and the overtly religious title, there is a strong spiritual dimension inherent within Catechesis and other works within the Kaleidoscope series due to the presence of butterflies, which, in Hirst’s highly developed artistic lexicon, have come to signify the soul itself. Despite Hirst’s appropriation of the motif, the association of the butterfly with religion and spirituality is a venerable one: the Ancient Greeks employed an identical word for ‘butterfly’ and ‘soul,’ whilst in Christian tradition the rebirth of a butterfly from its cocoon symbolises the miracle of the resurrection. 

Butterflies were one of the earliest sources of inspiration for Hirst, and have appeared frequently throughout his career to date. One of his earliest exhibitions, In & Out of Love, held in a former travel agent’s office in 1991, featured a combination of butterfly paintings with adult specimens on canvas which were contrasted with pupae attached to a number of white canvases; bowls of sugar water placed near the ‘pupae’ canvases allowed the butterflies to feed and mate. The subsequent hatching and metamorphosis effectively served as a miniature illustration of the complete cycle of life and death: a theme of endless fascination for Hirst. The remarkable ability of a butterfly to still appear beautiful, even in death, was another source of artistic appeal: “Then you get the beauty of the butterfly… The death of an insect that still has this really optimistic beauty of a wonderful thing” (Damien Hirst in conversation with Mirta D’Argenzio, in: Exh. Cat., Naples, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Damien Hirst, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Selected Works from 1989-2004, 2004, p. 83). Ultimately Catechesis is a work that invites meditation and contemplation, encouraging the viewer to focus on the extraordinary – yet fragile – beauty of the natural world through the utilisation of iridescent butterfly wings.

Representing the very apotheosis of this early concern, the painstakingly created Kaleidoscopic works, though ostensibly morbid, nonetheless broadcast a potent celebration of life. Encapsulating the awe-inspiring brilliance of a Gothic stained glass window, Catechesis strikes a delicate balance between tragic poignancy and exultant splendour.