Contemporary artist Damien Hirst is blocking the sale of an early spot painting that he executed directly on the wall of a London house in 1988. The painting was a birthday present for the home’s former owner, Jamie Ritblat, now a successful property mogul, from his parents Sir John and Lady Ritblat, both well-known art collectors and Hirst enthusiasts. “Bombay Mix” remained in the house when the current owners, Jess Simpson and her husband Roger, purchased it in 2005. Two years later, Simpson removed the painting, mounted it on an aluminum backing board, and had it framed in hopes of selling it.
Since Hirst’s company Science Ltd. still holds the painting’s original certificate of authenticity, it is claiming ownership of the work and prohibiting Simpson from selling the piece.
