Afternoon:
15°c
An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
London faces a wave of bus and Tube strikes that could cause chaos for millions of passengers as unions walkout over pay and conditions
More...
Damien Hirst unveils his jewels in the crown, a £50m diamond-studded skull
Last updated at 21:22pm on 01.06.07In a glittering career, this is perhaps his most audacious effort yet. And, thanks to the £50 million price tag, the most expensive too.
As Damien Hirst unveiled this diamond encrusted skull, titled For the Love of God, the art world was divided over its artistic merit.
Scroll down for more...
The skull is covered with 8,601 flawless diamonds - three times the number on the crown the Queen wears on state occasions
Some critics dismissed it as a publicity stunt from the man best known for pickling cows and sheep in the name of art.
Others insisted it provided a profound statement about death.
Propped behind reinforced glass in a darkened room in the White Cube gallery in East London, the skull is covered with 8,601 flawless diamonds - three times the number on the crown the Queen wears on state occasions.
Even the eye sockets and the holes for the nose have been filled with hundreds of jewels. A 52-carat pear-shaped stone is set into the forehead, surrounded by 14 diamonds.
Scroll down for more...
Hirst says For The Love Of God is 'a celebration against death'
The skull is a platinum replica of a human skull bought by Hirst two years ago in a London taxidermy shop.
The original is thought to be that of a 35-year-old man who lived in Europe during the 18th century. The teeth have been taken from the original, polished, and then reset in the cast.
Robin Simon, editor of the British Art Journal, said: "All of Hirst's works are stunts – but this one is just a more expensive stunt. It's vacuous nonsense.
"It is not even made by Hirst. He comes up with the concept and he gets his technicians to do the rest.
"As a piece of workmanship it is very good, but it is just window dressing. As art it is extremely dull."
The work took 18 months to make and the diamonds, worth £12 million, were paid for by Hirst and the gallery.
Scroll down for more...
Views of the £50 million smile
The multi-millionaire artist, 41, has already received several offers from collectors. But he dreams of seeing the skull on display among the ancient treasures at the British Museum.
"I hope it makes the people who see it feel good, that it's uplifting, that it takes your breath away," he said.
"It works much better than I imagined. I was slightly worried that we'd end up with an Ali G ring. You just want it to be flawless, like a diamond is a flawless.
"We wanted to put them everywhere. I wouldn't mind if it happened to my skull after my death.'
Reader views (5)
does anybody else know that this skull has already been done by another man called john lekay, who used fake diamond instead? he did is 'spiritis callidus' in 1993 and now Hirts is doing it in 2007 but the previous artist is going unnoticed.
yes Hirst is certainly beautiful, but it is bizzare how similar many of his works are like those of LeKay.
- Shannen, Aus
The workmanship is flawless and the concept unique. However, where did Hirst get the diamonds? Are they blood diamonds?
- Wtf, Canada
PHENOMENAL. Love crystals, love skulls, so to see them both is stunning. Mystical and magical. Certainly has had the artists desired effect on me. Would love to see it in person!
- Janice Forrest, Inverness Scotland
That is so creepy..
- Violet, london
Stunning, in a macabre sort of way...
- Bill, Herts, UK
