Full of Love (1998) stands as a resplendent example from Damien Hirst’s early butterfly series. It is one of only ten butterfly works featured in Hirst’s Pharmacy, a restaurant in Notting Hill Gate, London, which opened in 1997. It is one of just two executed in this scale. Other works from this series are held in prestigious collections; Love Love Love (1994-95) is now part of the Heidi Horten collection.

The butterfly works encapsulate the themes of life, death, and the fragility of existence in a single, captivating composition. Depicted at the height of his early fame, this piece is not only a visual delight, but also a potent exploration of Hirst’s enduring fascination with mortality, a central pillar of his work. Here, the artist juxtaposes the fleeting vitality of the butterfly’s delicate form with a rich crimson backdrop, evoking the tension between beauty and decay that is ever-present in his oeuvre.

The fifteen iridescent butterflies, perfectly preserved in their flight, appear to dance across the canvas in chaotic yet harmonious motion. Their seemingly eternal fluttering is captured mid-flight, frozen in time, yet their shimmering colours and intricate patterns suggest a vibrancy that belies their stillness. The deep, blood-red background heightens the sense of life clashing with death, as if these fragile creatures are moments away from vanishing into the void, yet remain defiantly alive, suspended in a state of suspended animation.

Hirst’s butterfly works, which originated with his groundbreaking 1991 installation In and Out of Love, have since become iconic expressions of his central themes. That seminal exhibition, held at London’s Woodstock Street Gallery, introduced the powerful motif of live and dead butterflies, creating an immersive environment where life and death coexisted in striking proximity. On the ground floor, Hirst created a humid, tropical atmosphere, where butterflies hatched from pupae affixed to stark white canvases and fluttered freely. Below, in the basement, he displayed eight vibrantly coloured monochrome canvases adorned with dead butterflies, their glossy surfaces acting as memento mori. These early works, now held in the Yale Center for British Art, laid the foundation for paintings such as Full of Love, which builds upon these initial explorations, refining their visual schema into a more focused and contemplative composition.

Within the art historical context, the butterfly has long been associated with transformation, renewal, and the soul. In Greek mythology, the butterfly is linked to Psyche, the personification of the human soul, and in Christian iconography, it has symbolised resurrection. Hirst taps into these deeply ingrained symbols, placing the butterfly as a representation of life’s fragility and the possibility of rebirth, even in death. However, in Full of Love, he pushes this symbolism further: by encasing these butterflies in a vitrine-like structure, reminiscent of a Victorian natural history collection, he transforms them into objects of contemplation, forcing the viewer to confront the delicate balance between the fleeting nature of life and the permanence of death.

The contrast between the vivacious fluttering of the butterflies and their ultimate fate as preserved specimens evokes both celebration and mourning. As in many of Hirst’s works, dualities abound – beauty and decay, hope and despair, life and death – each one deepening the complexity of the work. Yet, in Full of Love, there is an undeniable sense of optimism. Unlike many of Hirst’s more visceral works, where death dominates, here, life is exalted, if only for a moment. The vibrancy of the butterflies, their jewel-like tones shimmering against the backdrop, speaks of joy, exuberance, and the possibility of love as a redemptive force.

In Full of Love, Hirst confronts the ultimate question of human existence – how do we reconcile life and death? His answer is not one of fear or despair but one of celebration. The title itself – Full of Love—implies an emotional triumph over mortality. In this work, love becomes a force more enduring than reason or faith, a radiant defiance against the inevitability of death. It is this emotional core that makes the piece so compelling; Hirst is not offering answers, but rather inviting us to revel in the beauty of the question.

This striking work from 1998 is a powerful testament to Damien Hirst’s unique ability to synthesise complex philosophical ideas into visually arresting, conceptually rigorous art. As one of the earliest examples in his butterfly series, Full of Love encapsulates the core of Hirst’s artistic vision, making it a quintessential piece that offers a glimpse into the profound depths of his oeuvre. Bold, beautiful, and emotionally resonant, Full of Love transcends the boundaries of art and nature, offering an everlasting glimpse of life, suspended in its most delicate form.