Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Reveal
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Reveal (2009) is an etching from Damien Hirst's butterfly series, published by Other Criteria in a signed and numbered edition of 45. Measuring 47.3 x 39.2 cm, it renders a single butterfly in fine intaglio line against a deep black ground, isolating the specimen with the precision of a naturalist's plate.
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
The butterfly is among Hirst's most enduring motifs, threading through his work from the early In and Out of Love onward. Reveal translates that recurring symbol into the disciplined language of etching, a comparatively intimate and traditional medium against Hirst's usual scale, giving collectors access to a career-defining theme in printed form.
Collector Perspective
At an edition of 45, Reveal sits among the tighter Hirst butterfly etchings, smaller than the screenprint runs that reach into the hundreds. Signed and numbered by the artist and issued by his own Other Criteria imprint, it offers a clear provenance path. Its titled, quasi-devotional theme adds interpretive appeal for collectors drawn to Hirst's memento mori vocabulary.
Historical Context
Published in 2009 through Other Criteria, the print house Hirst co-founded, Reveal belongs to a group of butterfly etchings whose titles reference love, regeneration, freedom and death. The etching format nods to centuries of natural-history illustration in which butterflies were pinned, embedded and catalogued as objects of study and wonder.
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: Published in 2009 through Other Criteria, the print house Hirst co-founded, Reveal belongs to a group of butterfly etchings whose titles reference love, regeneration, 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
What is the edition size of Reveal?
It was published in a signed and numbered edition of 45 by Other Criteria in 2009.
What medium is this print?
It is an etching, an intaglio printmaking process, measuring 47.3 x 39.2 cm.
How is it signed?
Each impression is signed and numbered by Damien Hirst.
How does it relate to Hirst's wider work?
It continues his long-running butterfly motif, a symbol he has used since his early career to explore love, spirituality and death.
