Hirst’s new £34million masterpiece (shark tank not included) That’s an awful lot of cash to splash on a Nash original off Regent’s Park, Damien!
HE IS the enfant terrible of British art who made his name and fortune by selling a shark preserved in formaldehyde and a diamondencrusted crystal skull.
Now Damien Hirst has used his millions to buy one of London’s grandest houses – a stunning example of Regency architecture.
The 49-year-old is understood to have completed the purchase last week of the Grade I listed mansion overlooking Regent’s Park where Diana, Princess of Wales was once a guest at a society party.
The five-storey property was put on the market last year for £34 million, although it is thought the Turner Prize-winning artist may have paid considerably more.
Commissioned in 1811 by the Prince Regent, it was built by the renowned architect John Nash and is considered one of the finest of his works.
Hirst now plans an extensive renovation of the property, which is adorned by an imposing set of Greek pillars and an elegant frieze at the pinnacle of the main structure.
Its stately grandeur, as well as its half-acre garden make it one of the most unusual houses ever offered for sale in Central London, according to estate agents.
It was owned for nearly 50 years by Anne Van Lanschot, a scion of a Dutch private banking dynasty. She and her businessman husband, Ian Mackeson-Sandbach, bought it soon after they were married. But after his death in 2012, his widow decided the time had come to move on.
‘When we bought it, my only condition was that it had a garden,’ she said recently. ‘We were at a party – the Queen Mother was there too – and noticed a For Sale sign outside the house, and bought it. Crazy, really.’ Princess Diana was a guest on at least one occasion.
The road has an illustrious history beyond its impressive royal pedigree. Blue plaques on neighbouring houses bear the names of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and writer H.G. Wells. Other famous one-time residents include playwright Harold Pinter, poet Sir Edmund Gosse and architect Anthony Salvin, a pupil of Nash.
Hirst, who has a £215million fortune, already has an extensive property portfolio but the latest acquisition confirms his position as the world’s most financially successful artist.
His main residence is a 300-yearold farmhouse in Combe Martin, North Devon, set in 24 acres, but he has also owned a house in Thailand and a beach home in Mexico.
Until now, one of his most spectacular purchases had been Toddington Manor, a magnificent 19th century Grade I listed 300-room country pile in Gloucestershire.
Hirst achieved celebrity status for his controversial art, including a shark preserved in a tank of formaldehyde and a diamond-studded human skull that sold for £50million.
Two years ago The Mail on Sunday revealed the break-up of his 19-year relationship with California-born Maia Norman after she had an affair. They have three children.
Last week the London property was unoccupied. An Israeli woman who lives in the road said: ‘It has been on the market for some time and there were rumours that a famous artist had bought it. But we didn’t know it was Damien Hirst.’
Hirst declined to comment.