Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Dequalinium Chloride
Work Summary & Collector Notes
'Dequalinium Chloride' is a 2016 woodcut from Damien Hirst's spot works, published by Paragon Press. Titled after a pharmaceutical compound, it renders his signature grid of colored dots through the tactile, hand-cut woodcut process. The sheet measures 87.8 x 106.6 cm, signed and numbered on the reverse in an edition of 55.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 55. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Hirst's spot paintings are among the most recognizable images in contemporary art, and naming each after a chemical anchors them to his pharmaceutical themes. Translating the spots into woodcut introduces the grain and physicality of a traditional printmaking medium, giving the familiar motif a handmade texture.
Collector Perspective
The edition of 55 and the woodcut medium set this apart from Hirst's more common spot screenprints. Collectors drawn to the spot iconography, or to woodcut as a technique, will value the tactile surface and the chemical-compound title that ties it directly to his broader pharmaceutical project.
Historical Context
The spot works span Hirst's entire career, each titled after a chemical to underline his fascination with medicine, order, and control. The woodcut spots issued through Paragon Press extended this vocabulary into relief printmaking, pairing rigorous grid composition with the irregularity inherent to carved blocks.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2016
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Woodcut; catalog dimensions 87.8 x 106.6 cm; Woodcut spot.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 55.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Damien Hirst's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2016 and attributes the edition to Paragon Press.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Paragon Press. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Damien Hirst — official site — Damien Hirst studio (Science Ltd.) · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Damien Hirst — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Damien Hirst (Q294326) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What is the medium?
It is a woodcut spot print, published by Paragon Press, giving Hirst's dot motif a hand-cut, textured surface.
Why is it named after a chemical?
Hirst titles his spot works after pharmaceutical and chemical compounds, reinforcing the link between the spots and his medical themes.
What are the dimensions and edition?
The sheet is 87.8 x 106.6 cm, signed and numbered on the reverse in an edition of 55.
