Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
To Lose
Work Summary & Collector Notes
"To Lose" is a 2008 etching from Damien Hirst's butterfly series, published by Other Criteria in a signed and stamped edition of 75. The 250 x 300 mm image sits on a 412 x 443 mm sheet, rendering a single butterfly specimen in fine intaglio detail against a deep black ground.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Each etching is an edition of 75. The saved release record describes: signed. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The butterfly has anchored Hirst's iconography since his early kaleidoscope and vitrine works, making these etchings a print-scale entry into one of his defining motifs. The etching medium here is notable: it trades the flat color of his silkscreens for the tactile line and tonal depth of the plate, closer to a naturalist's engraving.
Collector Perspective
At an edition of 75, this is among the more tightly editioned Hirst prints in circulation, and the intaglio format appeals to collectors who prize technique over pure image recognition. The signed-and-stamped authentication and Other Criteria provenance are the key documentation points to confirm. The title's theme of loss situates it within the series' emotional register.
Historical Context
The butterfly's centuries-long role in art and literature as a symbol of love, regeneration, freedom and death gives these etchings a layered reading. Hirst's series titles, including "To Lose," deliberately invoke those associations, framing the specimen as both a scientific object and a memento mori. Other Criteria, Hirst's own imprint, published the group.
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 41.2 x 44.3 cm.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Each etching is an edition of 75.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed. 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: The butterfly's centuries-long role in art and literature as a symbol of love, regeneration, freedom and death gives these etchings a layered reading. 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.
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 medium is "To Lose"?
It is an etching, an intaglio printmaking process, published in 2008 with a 250 x 300 mm image on a 412 x 443 mm sheet.
How large is the edition?
Each etching in this butterfly group is an edition of 75, signed and stamped.
Who published it?
Other Criteria, Damien Hirst's own publishing imprint.
How does it relate to Hirst's wider work?
The butterfly has been central to Hirst's visual identity since his early career; these etchings are among the newer additions to that motif.
