
French Nuclear Test, Licorne
2019
Damien Hirst's 'French Nuclear Test, Licorne' is a striking contribution to the Triple Trouble collaboration, drawing on his lifelong fascination with mortality, power, and the sublime forces beyond human control. Rendered in oil on canvas, the work employs Hirst's meticulous painterly technique to evoke the terrifying beauty of nuclear detonation — the 'Licorne' test being one of France's most visually dramatic atmospheric nuclear experiments, conducted in 1970. The piece channels the visual language of Hirst's spot and spin paintings, where repeated or explosive forms suggest both scientific order and catastrophic chaos simultaneously. Thematically, it places mankind's most destructive ingenuity under an aesthetic lens, forcing the viewer to confront the seduction of destruction — a hallmark of Hirst's provocative conceptual practice. Within the broader collaboration, the work anchors the trio's shared interest in cultural disruption, framing nuclear spectacle as a kind of ultimate 'pop' moment frozen in paint.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
For Sale
More by Damien Hirst
Collectors of Damien Hirst
Also spotted by
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion