No Love Lost

Featuring 25 new paintings by Damien Hirst, the No Love Lost exhibition at The Wallace Collection puts a contemporary twist on the age old tradition of representing death and the theme of mortality in works of art.

Damien Hirst paintings
While he is perhaps most famous, or even infamous, for producing art installations featuring animals preserved in formaldehyde and diamond encrusted human skulls, this new exhibition of work by Damien Hirst features the artist's latest work in a more traditional art form, painting. No Love Lost features 25 paintings, collectively known as The Blue Paintings, created between 2006 and 2008.

Reminders of death
The Blue Paintings in the No Love Lost exhibition at The Wallace Collection explore the tradition of memento mori, or reminders of death, in which artists remind the view of death and their own mortality in the work they produce. Skulls emerging from gloom and darkness and sprays of flowers feature in the paintings, which also include two triptychs.

Exhibition highlights
Paintings displayed in No Love Lost include Floating Skull (2006), The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth (2008), and Men Shall Know Nothing (2008). With the opening of the exhibition, Damien Hirst joins a short and very select list of living artists who have had their work on show at The Wallace Collection, such as Lucian Freud.

Ornate setting
In contrast to the sparse and plain decor common to many contemporary art galleries, No Love Lost takes place in the ornate and intimate settings of The Wallace Collection. Silk covered walls, gilded comices, and opulent furniture and porcelain provide a suitably lavish setting for the paintings, and highlights the works' references to traditional memento mori art, such as Poussin's A Dance to the Music of Time, which is also part of The Wallace Collection. The museum is also hosting a private viewing and dinner package to tie into its new exhibition.

Damien Hirst Dinner at Wallace Collection

More exhibitions in London
As well as the solo show at the Wallace Collection, work by Damien Hirst is also on display at Tate Modern as part of the Pop Life show, and there's also the Nothing Matters exhibition at White Cube showcasing the artist's work. Click on the links below for more information.

Damien Hirst Exhibition London

Pop Life Exhibition London

Damien Hirst at White Cube

No Love Lost: New Paintings by Damien Hirst, is on show at The Wallace Collection from Wednesday 14th October 2009 - Sunday 24th January 2010. Gallery opening hours are 10am - 5pm daily. Admission is free.

Damien Hirst Exhibition at Wallace Collection

Maharaja Exhibition London

Indian Exhibition at V&A

How It Is at Tate Modern

Sacred Made Real Exhibition London

Turner and the Masters Exhibition

Moctezuma Exhibition London

Anish Kapoor Exhibition London

Art Installations on South Bank

Frieze Art Fair London

Turner Prize at Tate Britain

Points of View Exhibition London

Dance Umbrella London

Beatles to Bowie Exhibition London

Origin at Somerset House

London Art Fair

Delaroche Exhibition London

Model Elephants in London

Venice Exhibition London

Sickboy Temple Shrines London

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