Hirst's Spiritual Golden Calf
- Friday, 12 September 2008
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The Golden Calf, by artist Damien Hirst, is a symbol of people’s preoccupation with wealth, which Hirst believes to be a form of worship of material possessions. It also refers to the biblical false idol that the Israelites created and worshipped before Moses became enraged and declared it sinful.
The peaceful, gentle nature of cows mean that they are sometimes seen as spiritual symbols. Hindus revere them as sacred animals, as they are seen as honest and giving through their milk that provides life and sustenance to mankind.
Other items in the collection, called Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, include a ‘unicorn’, a shark and a bull’s heart pierced by a dagger. The Dream Foal, a white foal with a resin horn attached, has an ethereal quality about it, as do the other animal collections, as they rest suspended in glass cases tinged turquoise from the formaldehyde that preserves their bodies.
Unicorn lovers and those interested in the collection are free to see the works up close in Sotheby’s every day before the auction starts on September 15th
Estimated to reach £12m, Hirst may become a gold worshipper himself as the whole collection of works called is expected to earn him at least £65m.
