Damien Hirst Diamond Skull

One of the most expensive pieces of art ever created sold by a living artist, the Damien Hirst diamond skull is set to be part of his solo show at Tate Modern for 2012. Part of the eponymously named Damien Hirst exhibition that covers the familiar ground of bisected animals in formaldehyde, golden cows and Hirst's obsession with death and religion, the platinum and diamond skull is certain to be one of the most viewed pieces.

Damien Hirst diamond skull on show
Never one for shying away from the public or media scorn, the artist has created many artworks over the years full of questioning for the fundamentals of human existance. Featuring a paintings, prints, installations and preserved and bisected animals alongside the platinum skull, Damien Hirst has brought together works at the Tate Modern exhibition that continullay refer back to death, and to his central question about religion.

For the Love of God
Held in two different parts of the gallery, the Damien Hirst Tate Modern show has located the multi million pound artwork at the end of the Turbine Hall, meaning that visitors to see the diamond skull don't have to pay entry into the retrospective exhibition to see it in all its diamond encrusted glory. Entitled For the Love of God, the Damien Hirst platinum skull is a life size cast of a 18th century skull covered with 8,601 diamonds which weigh a total of 1,106.18 carats. Adding to the glamour of the skull is the inclusion of the original skull owners teeth which have been reset in the rather more bling version of her head.

Coming home
Having been on show in Amsterdam and Florence since 2008, this is the very first time that the Damien Hirst diamond skull is due to go on show to the British public since it's creation. Certain to be one of the most viewed pieces of free art on show in London during 2012, you can be sure that there will be queues around the block at popular times, so if you are keen to see what has been labelled one of the most instantly recognisable pieces of contemporary art, make sure you get in early.

50 million pounds
Having cost a small fortune to create, the platinum and diamond skull sold at auction for a whopping £50 million, making it a record breaker for Damien Hirst and the art world in general. Since it first went on display at the White Cube Gallery back in 2007, the piece has become one of the most recognisable of all Hirsts artworks and For the Love of God is certainly one of the most glittering and eye catching pieces on show in his current exhibition. Having gone down in the history books and become an iconic piece of art for Damien Hirst, the diamond skull is an amazing piece of work that, regardless of its financial value in diamonds or art, needs to be seen to be truly believed.

Damien Hirst Exhibition London

The Damien Hirst exhibition at Tate Modern, with the Damien Hirst diamond skull on show in the Turbine Hall, takes place from Wednesday 4th April - Sunday 24th June 2012. Entrance to see the skull is free, but there is an admission price for the full exhibition.

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