Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Violence
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Violence is a 2017 silkscreen from Hirst's 'Eat the Rich' series, published by Other Criteria in an edition of 150, signed and numbered, at 40 by 30 inches (1016 by 762 mm). The composition renders pharmaceutical packaging with the tablet's brand name replaced by the word 'Violence', fusing the visual codes of medicine and aggression.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 150. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Violence delivers the series' thesis with unusual directness: the very word names the tension Hirst explores across all twelve prints. The pristine, minimalist packaging design is precisely what makes the substitution land, exposing how the aesthetics of care and the aesthetics of force can share the same clean, confident visual language.
Collector Perspective
As one of the more emphatically titled sheets in the suite, Violence carries strong standalone graphic impact while remaining part of a twelve-print set. At an edition of 150, collectors should seek a signed, numbered impression with rich, even ink coverage and clean edges. Its bold titling makes it a frequent anchor piece within a partial or full collection.
Historical Context
Published in 2017 by Other Criteria, Violence extends the strategy of Hirst's Last Supper screenprints, appropriating pharmaceutical packaging to probe the medical industry's grip on the body. The series distils his early Medicine Cabinets preoccupation into flat, graphic form, where design minimalism becomes a vehicle for unease.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2017
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 40 x 30 inches; Silkscreen print; 'Eat the Rich' is a new series of twelve screenprints that depicts pharmaceutical packaging in which the tablet's brand name has been replaced by a word implying violence or force; Similar to the thirteen-part 'Last Supper' screenprints, 'Eat the Rich' illustrates the artist's "obsession with the body" and the medical industry attached to it, in which confidence is exuded through minimalist designs that perpetuate "the modernist fantasy […] that everyone and everything can be cured.".
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 150.
- 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 2017 by Other Criteria, Violence extends the strategy of Hirst's Last Supper screenprints, appropriating pharmaceutical packaging to probe the medical industry's grip on the body. 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 2017 and attributes the edition to Other Criteria. The saved description also notes: Published by Other Criteria.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- The saved release description references: 'Eat the Rich' is a new series of twelve screenprints that depicts pharmaceutical packaging in which the tablet's brand name has been replaced by a word implying violence or force. Confirm any original sleeve, tube, box, or backing board copy by copy.
- 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 concept behind Violence?
It shows pharmaceutical packaging with the brand name replaced by the word 'Violence'.
What is the edition size?
It was published in an edition of 150, each signed and numbered.
Who published the print?
It was published by Other Criteria in 2017.
What series does it belong to?
It is part of the twelve-part 'Eat the Rich' screenprint series.
