Unique artist’s proof. Signed in pencil. Published by Paragon Press, London.

Created in 2009, Sanctum (Altar) belongs to Damien Hirst’s series of six photogravure etchings exploring the relationship between natural beauty and sacred imagery. The series’ architectural titles—Altar, Belfry, Chancel, Dome, Minaret and Spire—frame its intricate butterfly compositions through associations with religious spaces. This unique artist’s proof brings together Hirst’s recurring concerns with mortality, transformation and the search for consolation.

At the centre of the composition, a pale butterfly appears intact, surrounded by an elaborate arrangement of detached wings. Their repeated forms generate a kaleidoscopic pattern, with vibrant colours emerging against the dark ground. Printed on substantial 400 gsm Vélin d’Arches paper, the image translates the delicate markings of butterfly wings into an expansive ornamental structure, inviting attention to both individual details and the symmetry of the whole.

The arrangement recalls the stained-glass windows of Gothic cathedrals, where colour, repetition and light contribute to an atmosphere of contemplation. Hirst substitutes natural forms for conventional religious figures, allowing the butterfly’s associations with metamorphosis and the brevity of life to carry the image’s symbolic weight. The title Altar strengthens this devotional reading, suggesting a focal point for reflection, offering and remembrance.

Beauty remains inseparable from the unsettling implications of the imagery. The apparently complete central butterfly contrasts with the fragmented wings around it, placing bodily wholeness and disassembly within the same ordered design. Sanctum (Altar) can therefore be read as a meditation on the human impulse to impose pattern and meaning upon mortality, creating an image whose visual harmony offers contemplation without resolving the questions it raises.

A detailed condition report is available upon request.