Head of Sphinx
2012
Silver, paint
Overall dimensions: 194.3 × 48 × 48 cm (76 1/2 × 18 7/8 × 18 7/8 in.)
A sculpted bust is engulfed by several layers of coral. Only the title hints at its hidden essence. Head of Sphinx is a direct reference to ancient Egypt, from which this statue found in the seabed seems at first glance to come. However, it soon becomes clear that the entire sculpture is made of silver: the coral and Sphinx are part of a pastiche.
The works Damien Hirst created for "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable" borrow many stylistic references from around the world. Head of Sphinx reinterprets ancient Egyptian formal codes, such as the crown.
Hirst's Head of Sphinx was presented for the first time by the Pinault Collection during the 2017 exhibition "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable" at the Palazzo Grassi.
The works Damien Hirst created for "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable" borrow many stylistic references from around the world. Head of Sphinx reinterprets ancient Egyptian formal codes, such as the crown.
Hirst's Head of Sphinx was presented for the first time by the Pinault Collection during the 2017 exhibition "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable" at the Palazzo Grassi.
Exhibitions
© Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, Adagp, Paris.
Photographed by Matteo de Fina
Exhibition view, Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, Venice, Italy, April 9 – December 3, 2017.
© Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, Adagp, Paris.
Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd.
Detail.
© Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, Adagp, Paris.
Photographed by Matteo de Fina
Exhibition view, Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, Venice, Italy, April 9 – December 3, 2017.
