For the Love of God

* The exhibition 'For the Love of God' is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible

Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst: “As an artist I try to make things that people can believe in, that they can relate to, that they can experience. You therefore have to show them as well as possible.” (Interview with Damien Hirst in OOG, Rijksmuseum magazine for art and history, no. 4, 11 Sept. 2008)

For the Love of God

'For the Love of God' is a platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds. Set on the forehead is a large, pear-shaped light fancy pink diamond, called the Skull Star Diamond. The teeth are from the original skull. It was hailed worldwide and generated enormous publicity when first unveiled in 2007 at London’s White Cube. Dutch art historian Rudi Fuchs described it as “a supernatural skull, almost heavenly”. He relates Hirst’s work to the memento mori and vanitas motifs popular in the Dutch Golden Age. For the Love of God and Hirst’s personal selection of works from the Rijksmuseum collection reveal how fear of death has provided a theme in art over the centuries. Appropriately, For the Love of God appears in the Philips Wing, surrounded by the Masterpieces of the Golden Age.

ING is sponsor of the exhibition.

Universe of opinions on www.fortheloveofgod.nl

Never before has a work of art provoked as much dialogue as Damien Hirst's "For the Love of God". On this site you will encounter a whole universe of opinions by those who have actually seen the piece in the Rijksmuseum.