Hirst’s secret gift to nation – a surprise spin on the Queen
A DAMIEN HIRST portrait of the Queen is sitting in a government archive after he secretly donated the work to the nation, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
The portrait – shown in public here for the first time – was given to the Government Art Collection last year after officials approached him for a work.
It is produced through the “spin” technique which helped make Hirst famous during his rise as a contemporary artist and could achieve millions of pounds if sold at auction.
However, until now it has not been displayed in public after the work was taken straight from Hirst’s studio into the collection.
The discovery that one of Britain’s most famous artists has produced what is believed to be his first portrait of the Queen shocked art experts.
One said the piece showed Hirst had completed a career turnaround from “bad boy” of British art to a firm fixture of the Establishment.
The portrait’s existence was buried in the Government Art Collection’s annual report which details the pieces acquired for the nation on behalf of ministers. Alongside watercolours of plants, portraits of aristocrats and other works to be displayed in government departments and embassies across the world was the Hirst piece entitled
Beautiful Portrait, The Queen.
The work was completed in 2014 and donated in March 2015 after Hirst was approached by staff at the collection keen to have a second work. They already have one of Hirst’s dot paintings.
The officials initially came away empty-handed after realising they could not afford any of his works on the public purse before Hirst – understood to be a supporter of the scheme – donated the painting.
Art critics were unaware that the painting even existed.
Alastair Sooke, the BBC broadcaster
and a Telegraph art critic, said: “It is the last subject you might expect from one of the Young British Artists most notable for the shock tactics, in making art to focus on the monarch.”
He added: “The trajectory of his career has gone from bad boy of British art to owning a Gloucester pad, appearing on the rich list and becoming part of the Establishment.”