For the Love of God
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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For the Love of God [1] is a sculpture by artist Damien Hirst produced in 2007. It consists of a platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, including a pear-shaped pink diamond located in the forehead of the skull. Costing $28 million to produce, the work went on display at the White Cube gallery in London at an asking price of $100 million. It was sold on August 30, 2007 for its asking price, making it the most expensive single work by a living artist. Sold to an unnamed investment group, Hirst has kept a share in the work.
Production
Hirst supposedly gained his inspiration for the piece at the British Museum, viewing a turquoise skull of Aztec origin.
The human skull used as the base for the work, bought in a shop in Islington, is thought to be that of a European living between 1720 and 1810. The work is supposedly named after his mother's first words when she heard of the idea.
8,601 diamonds, over a platinum cast, cover the entirety of the skull, with the exception of the original teeth of the skull. At the centre of the forehead lies a pear-shaped pink diamond, the centrepiece of the work. All diamonds used for the work were ethically sourced.
Sale
On June 1 2007, the work went on display at the White Cube gallery in London.
"Hirst unveils £50m diamond skull"