About The Work
Damien Hirst's series "Empresses" pays homage to five women, lesser-known to Western culture, whose respective contributions throughout their lives carry great historical significance.
Wu Zetian remains the only woman to occupy the Chinese throne as an Empress in her own right. Born into an affluent family, her education and skills were recognized early on, and she became part of Emperor Taizong’s harem at the age of 14. After Taizong’s death, his son Gaozong occupied the throne—a rarity at this time, as concubines did not pass from father to son. Nevertheless, Gaozong kept Zetian part of his harem.
Zetian eventually replaced Empress Tang, taking on most of her political responsibilities during her husband’s final years. Following Gaozong’s death, she, now the widow and regent empress, staged a coup and began her own dynasty, known as the Zhou.
For more than a decade, Empress Wu proved a capable ruler who helped expand the empire’s territory, improve education, infrastructure, and the military. Meanwhile, her detractors refused to accept the it was a woman behind the designs of imperial China, and began spreading rumours of murders, purges, and orgies against her.
Empress Wu is remembered in two lights: one, an intuitive and intelligent governor of her country, and two, a ruthless leader with a hunger for power.
About Damien Hirst
From The Magazine
- Interviews & Features: Boo Saville: 'I want to create an experience where you are hit in the eyeballs with intensity'
- Interviews & Features: Art & Style For Home - The best Artspace design objects for your tabletop
- Interviews & Features: Cut and Paste - A Close Look at Collage
- Interviews & Features: 'He wasn’t being coherent, but this didn’t interfere with the carnival of affection that surrounded him' Art Critic Calvin Tomkins on Cattelan, Christo and Hirst
- News & Events: 6 Highlights to Bid On in Artspace's Fall Auction
Laminated giclée print on aluminum composite, screen printed with glitter
39.37 x 39.37 x 0.39 in
100.0 x 100.0 x 1.0 cm
The work is signed and numbered by the artist on verso.
About The Work
Damien Hirst's series "Empresses" pays homage to five women, lesser-known to Western culture, whose respective contributions throughout their lives carry great historical significance.
Wu Zetian remains the only woman to occupy the Chinese throne as an Empress in her own right. Born into an affluent family, her education and skills were recognized early on, and she became part of Emperor Taizong’s harem at the age of 14. After Taizong’s death, his son Gaozong occupied the throne—a rarity at this time, as concubines did not pass from father to son. Nevertheless, Gaozong kept Zetian part of his harem.
Zetian eventually replaced Empress Tang, taking on most of her political responsibilities during her husband’s final years. Following Gaozong’s death, she, now the widow and regent empress, staged a coup and began her own dynasty, known as the Zhou.
For more than a decade, Empress Wu proved a capable ruler who helped expand the empire’s territory, improve education, infrastructure, and the military. Meanwhile, her detractors refused to accept the it was a woman behind the designs of imperial China, and began spreading rumours of murders, purges, and orgies against her.
Empress Wu is remembered in two lights: one, an intuitive and intelligent governor of her country, and two, a ruthless leader with a hunger for power.
About Damien Hirst
From The Magazine
- Interviews & Features: Boo Saville: 'I want to create an experience where you are hit in the eyeballs with intensity'
- Interviews & Features: Art & Style For Home - The best Artspace design objects for your tabletop
- Interviews & Features: Cut and Paste - A Close Look at Collage
- Interviews & Features: 'He wasn’t being coherent, but this didn’t interfere with the carnival of affection that surrounded him' Art Critic Calvin Tomkins on Cattelan, Christo and Hirst
- News & Events: 6 Highlights to Bid On in Artspace's Fall Auction
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