Damien Hirst The Last Supper For Sale | Prints & Editions

Damien Hirst: The Last Supper Series

Definitive Works Exploring Pharmaceuticals, Mortality, and Consumer Culture

Guy Hepner, New York, presents The Last Supper (1999), one of Damien Hirst's most intellectually rigorous print series and a foundational work within the artist's broader pharmaceutical iconography. As a leading authority in Hirst's secondary market with $4,226,125 in documented transactions, Guy Hepner offers collectors unparalleled access to authenticated works from this conceptually dense and visually striking edition.

Market Context and Artist Authority

Damien Hirst remains the defining figure of the Young British Artists movement and among the most consequential artists of the contemporary era. His market-making "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever" single-artist auction at Sotheby's in September 2008 achieved a staggering $198 million total, executed at the precise moment of global financial crisis—a testament to collector confidence in Hirst's enduring significance. His sculptural masterwork Lullaby Spring established a then-record $19.2 million at Sotheby's in 2007, confirming the artist's position within the highest echelons of contemporary art valuation.

Within the context of a recovering global art market—Art Basel and UBS reported a return to growth in 2025 following the $57.5 billion market valuation in 2024—Hirst's print editions occupy a strategically important position. The Last Supper series, with its fusion of accessible pricing and conceptual depth, represents a compelling entry point for collectors seeking museum-quality engagement with Hirst's pharmaceutical investigations at scale-appropriate valuations. The series has demonstrated sustained institutional interest and collector demand, with authenticated works commanding consistent attention at major auction houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, Phillips, and Bonhams.

Series Context and Conceptual Framework

The Last Supper series comprises thirteen large-scale screen prints, each appropriating the clinical visual language of pharmaceutical packaging while substituting prescription drug names with common British comfort foods. This linguistic displacement—replacing medications with nourishment—generates profound meditation on Western society's complex relationship with healing, consumption, and mortality.

Created in 1999, the series emerged during a pivotal period in Hirst's practice, following his iconic medicine cabinet sculptures and spot paintings but preceding the more elaborate pharmaceutical installations of the 2000s. The title's biblical reference introduces additional layers of meaning: the communal meal as sacred ritual, food as spiritual sustenance, and the implicit suggestion that modern pharmaceuticals have assumed quasi-religious significance in contemporary life.

Hirst's appropriation of pharmaceutical aesthetics carries deliberate provocation. The clinical typography, standardized layouts, and institutional color palettes borrowed from actual drug packaging create immediate recognition while subverting expectations. When viewers encounter "Dumpling" or "Corned Beef" rendered with the visual authority of prescription medication, the familiar becomes strange, and fundamental questions emerge regarding society's faith in chemical intervention versus natural remedy.

Technical Specifications and Edition Details

Each work in The Last Supper series was executed as a screen print in 1999, demonstrating Hirst's commitment to precision reproduction and his understanding of print media's capacity for conceptual rigor. The screen print medium—with its associations to commercial printing, pharmaceutical packaging, and Pop Art precedent—reinforces the series' engagement with mass production and consumer culture.

The technical execution reflects Hirst's exacting standards. Color registration, typographic clarity, and material quality meet the institutional standards expected of works entering major collections. All works are authenticated through Science Ltd, the artist's studio and authentication body established specifically to maintain scholarly documentation of Hirst's extensive output. White Cube provides primary market representation, while secondary market transactions through established dealers like Guy Hepner ensure provenance continuity and professional handling.

Notable Works from the Series

Dumpling (from The Last Supper) (1999) This screen print exemplifies the series' conceptual methodology, transforming humble comfort food into pharmaceutical product with clinical precision.

Corned Beef (from The Last Supper) (1999) Among the most visually arresting works in the series, presenting traditional British provisions through medical packaging conventions.

Beans and Chips (from The Last Supper) (1999) A particularly resonant pairing that evokes working-class British cuisine while maintaining the sterile presentation of prescription medication.

Mushroom, from The Last Supper (1999) This work introduces subtle complexity through the mushroom's dual associations with nourishment and toxicity—an apt metaphor for pharmaceutical intervention.

Sausages, from The Last Supper (1999) Demonstrates the series' capacity for dry humor while maintaining serious conceptual inquiry.

Omelette (from The Last Supper) (1999) Meatballs (from The Last Supper) (1999) Sandwich (from The Last Supper) (1999) Each contributes to the series' comprehensive examination of sustenance, medication, and cultural consumption patterns.

Investment Analysis and Market Position

The Last Supper series occupies a strategically advantageous position within Hirst's market structure. While unique pharmaceutical cabinets and major installations command prices accessible only to institutional collectors and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, the print editions offer genuine engagement with Hirst's core conceptual investigations at more accessible valuations.

The series benefits from several market-positive characteristics: finite edition structure ensuring scarcity, institutional authentication through Science Ltd, consistent presence at major auction houses, and strong representation in significant private and public collections. As younger collectors increasingly seek works that combine conceptual sophistication with recognizable visual impact, The Last Supper satisfies both requirements.

Furthermore, the series' thematic content—pharmaceutical dependency, mortality anxiety, consumer culture—has only grown more relevant since 1999. Contemporary discourse surrounding healthcare access, opioid crises, and wellness culture amplifies the works' prescience and ensures continued critical engagement.

Acquisition Through Guy Hepner

Guy Hepner, New York, maintains the expertise, inventory access, and market intelligence necessary for successful acquisition of The Last Supper works. With $4,226,125 in documented Damien Hirst transactions, Guy Hepner provides collectors with authenticated works, comprehensive provenance documentation, and professional guidance throughout the acquisition process.

Contact Guy Hepner to discuss available works from The Last Supper series and develop acquisition strategies aligned with individual collecting objectives.