Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Hope
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Hope (2009) is a signed and numbered etching from Damien Hirst's butterfly series, published by Other Criteria in an edition of 45. At 47.3 x 39.2 cm, its finely etched butterfly floats against a black ground, the title casting the specimen as an emblem of aspiration within Hirst's larger symbolic language.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 45. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Hope represents the affirmative register of Hirst's butterfly vocabulary, balancing the memento mori weight of his skulls and pill works. As an etching it shows the artist's investment in traditional intaglio craft, offering collectors a considered, close-scale expression of a motif that has defined his visual identity for decades.
Collector Perspective
The edition of 45 places Hope among the scarcer butterfly etchings. Signed, numbered and issued by Other Criteria, it carries the provenance markers collectors expect. Its uplifting title makes it a natural centerpiece or a complement within a grouping of series titles, broadening its appeal beyond single-work buyers.
Historical Context
Released in 2009 through Other Criteria, Hope is one of several butterfly etchings whose titles reference love, regeneration, fortune, freedom and death. The butterfly's centuries-long presence in art and literature as a symbol of renewal informs Hirst's optimistic framing here.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2009
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Etching; catalog dimensions 47.3 x 39.2 cm.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 45.
- 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: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: Released in 2009 through Other Criteria, Hope is one of several butterfly etchings whose titles reference love, regeneration, fortune, freedom and death. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2009 and attributes the edition to Other Criteria. The saved description also notes: Published by Other Criteria.
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 Other Criteria. 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
How large is Hope?
The etching measures 47.3 x 39.2 cm.
How many impressions exist?
It was issued in a signed and numbered edition of 45.
Who is the publisher?
Other Criteria, the print imprint co-founded by Damien Hirst.
Why is it titled Hope?
The title reflects the butterfly's symbolism of renewal and aspiration, part of the thematic range across the series.
