Damien Hirst H9 - the Virtues For Sale

Damien Hirst: The Virtues (H9) Series

Authoritative Collection at Guy Hepner, New York

Market Position & Dealer Authority

Damien Hirst maintains an unassailable position at the apex of contemporary art market performance, with auction records that define the parameters of blue-chip collecting. His landmark "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever" single-artist sale achieved $198 million at Sotheby's in September 2008—a record-breaking event that fundamentally altered perceptions of primary market disruption and artist-controlled valuations. Earlier, Lullaby Spring commanded $19.2 million at Sotheby's in 2007, establishing pharmaceutical-themed works as cornerstones of contemporary auction achievement.

Guy Hepner in New York brings substantial transactional authority to Hirst acquisitions, with $4,226,125 in documented Damien Hirst transactions demonstrating proven expertise across the artist's diverse output. This market presence positions Guy Hepner as an essential resource for collectors seeking authenticated access to significant Hirst editions, including the contemplative and visually commanding Virtues series.

The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2025 valued the worldwide art market at $57.5 billion in 2024, with the subsequent 2026 report confirming the market's return to growth in 2025. Within this strengthening environment, Hirst's printed editions occupy a distinctive space—offering institutional-quality presentation and established provenance at accessible entry points relative to unique works.

Series Context & Conceptual Framework

The Virtues (H9) series, released in 2021, represents one of Hirst's most philosophically grounded explorations of the Cherry Blossom paintings that emerged during the global pandemic period. Each work in this eight-piece edition corresponds to a classical virtue—Control, Loyalty, Honour, Mercy, Courage, Honesty, Politeness—with the complete suite encompassing the full moral framework that has occupied philosophical discourse from Aristotle through contemporary ethics.

This series emerged from Hirst's intensive studio practice during an unprecedented period of global reflection, when themes of mortality, beauty, and human values gained renewed cultural urgency. The Cherry Blossom paintings, from which The Virtues editions derive, marked Hirst's return to direct painting after years focused on conceptual and installation-based practice. Critics noted this body of work demonstrated renewed engagement with painterly gesture while maintaining the symbolic density characteristic of Hirst's most significant output.

The pairing of explosive natural imagery with virtue concepts creates deliberate philosophical tension. Cherry blossoms traditionally symbolise the transience of life in Japanese aesthetics—their brief flowering a meditation on impermanence. By associating these ephemeral blooms with enduring virtues, Hirst constructs a visual dialectic between momentary beauty and lasting principle, between natural cycles and human aspiration toward moral constancy.

Technical Specifications & Production Quality

Each work in The Virtues (H9) series employs laminated giclée printing on aluminium composite panel, a production method that achieves exceptional colour fidelity while ensuring archival permanence. This substrate selection reflects Hirst's consistent preference for industrial materials that simultaneously reference commercial production and museum-grade durability.

The aluminium composite construction provides dimensional stability superior to traditional paper-based prints, eliminating concerns regarding humidity fluctuation and substrate degradation that affect conventional works on paper. Lamination further protects pigment surfaces from environmental exposure while contributing a distinctive visual quality—subtle luminosity that enhances the chromatic intensity of Hirst's blossom compositions.

All works in this series carry authentication through Science Ltd, the artist's established authentication body, ensuring unimpeachable provenance documentation essential for secondary market liquidity and institutional consideration. White Cube gallery representation further confirms the series' position within Hirst's official catalogue.

Notable Works Within the Series

The Virtues Control H9-8 (2021) anchors the series with its meditation on restraint amid abundance—dense floral explosions contained within compositional boundaries that mirror the philosophical tension between natural impulse and measured response.

The Virtues Courage H9-2 (2021) presents particularly vigorous gestural energy, with blossom arrangements suggesting forward movement and chromatic boldness appropriate to its titular virtue.

The Virtues Honour H9-6 (2021) and The Virtues Loyalty H9-7 (2021) function as companion pieces, their adjacent numbering suggesting intentional pairing for collectors seeking thematic coherence across multiple acquisitions.

The Virtues Mercy H9-3 (2021) and The Virtues Honesty H9-5 (2021) demonstrate Hirst's chromatic range within the series, with palette variations that maintain visual unity while distinguishing individual works.

The Virtues Politeness H9-4 (2021) offers perhaps the most restrained composition, its arrangement suggesting the measured consideration implicit in social grace.

The complete Virtues (H9) (2021) suite represents the definitive presentation, with all eight works forming an integrated philosophical and aesthetic statement suitable for institutional or significant private collections.

Investment Analysis & Market Trajectory

Hirst's printed editions have demonstrated consistent market resilience, supported by the artist's continued institutional presence and auction performance history documented through Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips, and Bonhams sale records. The Virtues series benefits from direct connection to the Cherry Blossom paintings, which achieved substantial primary market results and significant critical attention upon initial exhibition.

Edition prints from established contemporary masters typically demonstrate appreciation patterns correlated with the artist's exhibition schedule, institutional acquisitions, and broader market sentiment. Hirst's position as the leading Young British Artist, combined with ongoing major museum presentations and consistent auction presence, provides fundamental support for edition valuations.

The technical sophistication of aluminium composite presentation elevates The Virtues beyond conventional print editions, offering collectors presentation quality approaching unique works while maintaining edition accessibility. This production distinction frequently translates to enhanced secondary market performance relative to paper-based editions from comparable artists.

Acquisition Through Guy Hepner

Guy Hepner in New York offers comprehensive acquisition services for The Virtues (H9) series, including authentication verification, condition assessment, and market valuation informed by extensive transactional experience with Hirst editions.

Collectors benefit from Guy Hepner's established relationships within the Hirst market ecosystem, enabling access to specific works and informed guidance regarding series completion, comparative valuation, and collection integration strategy.

Contact Guy Hepner to discuss available inventory and acquisition opportunities within this significant Damien Hirst edition series.