The remarkable success of the Damien Hirst auction, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, has raised several questions about the relationship between the financial markets and the art market. The surprisingly strong numbers have also caused many to wonder about the state of the art market itself. But the results of the sale are quite plain on the subject of Damien Hirst and his stature as a contemporary artist.
This report cannot make arguments about whether the Hirst auction is or is not representative of the art market as a whole or even indicative of the Contemporary art market. But it can draw some important conclusions about the history of the Hirst market.
