Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Manganese Chloride
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Manganese Chloride is a 2012 woodcut from Manifold Editions, printed with one-inch spots across a compact 5 x 5 inch sheet. As a First Edition example, it renders Hirst's spot grid at small scale, letting the woodcut's grain and ink texture read clearly against the tight arrangement of miniature colour dots.
Collector notes: First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 55. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The small format and one-inch spots make Manganese Chloride an intimate entry in the Manifold woodcut series. Where the spots were designed to feel industrial and endless, the woodcut process and reduced size reassert the hand and the individual sheet, turning a system built on repetition into a singular, tactile object.
Collector Perspective
At 5 x 5 inches it is one of the more approachable footprints in the series, well suited to intimate wall groupings or a first Hirst acquisition. The edition of 55 keeps it scarce without being rarefied. As with all Manifold woodcuts, verify signature and numbering and keep the publisher documentation intact for provenance.
Historical Context
Named after the chemical compound Manganese Chloride, the work continues Hirst's decades-long habit of titling spots after substances from scientific catalogues. The 2012 Manifold woodcuts recast this conceptual series in a traditional relief medium, part of Hirst's broader restatement of the spots during a high-output period for the motif.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2012
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Woodcut; catalog dimensions 5 x 5 inches; Woodcut print with 1-inch spots.
- Edition details
- First Edition; saved release record states an edition size of 55.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering 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 2012 and attributes the edition to Manifold Editions.
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 Manifold Editions. 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 big are the spots?
The spots measure one inch across, arranged on a 5 x 5 inch sheet.
Is this a screenprint?
No, it is a woodcut, a relief process that gives the spots visible grain and ink texture.
What is the edition size?
It was published in an edition of 55 by Manifold Editions.
Why is it named Manganese Chloride?
Hirst names his spot works after chemical and pharmaceutical compounds; Manganese Chloride is one such substance.
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