Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Sanctum - Spire
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Spire is a 2009 etching from Hirst's six-plate Sanctum suite, published by Paragon Press in an edition of 59. As with its companion prints, the title evokes ecclesiastical architecture, translating Hirst's ongoing preoccupation with structure, ascension and the sacred into the precise, tactile idiom of the etched plate.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 59. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Spire belongs to a body of work where Hirst set aside spectacle for the rigor of intaglio. The modest edition of 59 makes each impression comparatively scarce, and the suite as a whole documents the artist's serious, sustained engagement with traditional printmaking craft.
Collector Perspective
Every sheet is signed by the artist and numbered on the reverse. Buyers should verify the reverse numbering and, where possible, the relationship to the full six-plate Sanctum set, since completeness of the suite meaningfully shapes how collectors regard individual plates like Spire.
Historical Context
Produced at the height of Hirst's international prominence, the Sanctum etchings show a more meditative side of a practice usually defined by scale and shock. The sacred-architecture titles connect the suite to the mortality and transcendence themes that define much of his output.
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.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 59.
- 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 2009 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
How many impressions of Spire exist?
It was published in an edition of 59 by Paragon Press in 2009.
Where is the signature and number?
Each print is signed by the artist and numbered on the reverse.
What series does Spire belong to?
It is one of six etchings comprising the Sanctum suite.
Who published the print?
Paragon Press, London, a longtime publisher of Hirst's editions.
