Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Doxylamine
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Doxylamine is a 2007 spot etching, 82 x 94 cm, published by Paragon Press in an edition of 75. Notable among the pharmaceutical etchings, it required printing from two plates because the tight spacing between spots left no room to ink a single plate efficiently, a technical detail that reveals the craft behind the deceptively simple image.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 75. Each print signed by the artist on the front and numbered on the reverse. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The two-plate solution makes Doxylamine a case study in the difficulty of translating Hirst's precise spot grid into etching. That physical challenge, paired with an edition of only 75, gives the print both technical interest and scarcity within the Pharmaceutical series.
Collector Perspective
Signed on the front and numbered on the reverse, the edition of 75 is small by Hirst standards. Collectors drawn to the making of prints will value the documented two-plate process; condition of the crisp registration between plates is worth examining closely.
Historical Context
Titled after a sedating antihistamine, Doxylamine continues Hirst's practice of naming spots after chemical compounds, a systematic conceit that turns the pharmacy shelf into a color chart. The 2007 etchings brought this taxonomy into the labor-intensive world of intaglio printing.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2007
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Etching; catalog dimensions 82 x 94 cm.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 75. Each print signed by the artist on the front and numbered on the reverse.
- 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 2007 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
Why was Doxylamine printed from two plates?
The spots sat too close together to ink one plate efficiently, so alternating spots were split across two plates.
What is the edition size?
It was published in an edition of 75 by Paragon Press in 2007.
What does the title refer to?
Doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine, in keeping with Hirst's chemical-compound titling.
How is it signed?
Signed by the artist on the front and numbered on the reverse.
