Amsterdam is set to have the world première in the autumn. The Rijksmuseum will be allowed to put British artist Damien Hirst's priceless skull on display. What is the significance of this controversial work of art?  

he piece, named For the Love of God, is a cast of the skull of a man who lived in the eighteenth century. It has a platinum casing in which 8,601 diamonds have been set.

Last year, Hirst's skull was sold to a group of investors for 75 million euros, the largest amount ever paid for the work of a living artist. Damien Hirst was one of the investors.

"For the Love of God"
(Picture: flickr™/sdemory) 

The Rijksmuseum interprets the significance of the work of art as:

"For the Love of God and Hirst's choice show how through the ages the fear of death is being captured in beauty".
So what do art connoisseurs have to say about the diamond skull?...

Erik Bos, owner of Galerie Nouvelles Images in The Hague:

"You cannot discuss it in terms of beautiful or ugly. It is an intervention in art. It is a daring combination to decorate with diamonds something as impermanent as a skull. I think it will become an icon in art history. You could compare it to Duchamps' pissoir; he simply presented a urinal as art.

It changed the world of art. As a gallery owner, I often see art that people have to get used to, me included. But if you are willing to cross that threshold, you can achieve new insights. Would I have wanted to put the skull on display? That is like asking me whether I would like to sit down to dinner with ten kings and princes".
Gijs van Tuyl, director of Amsterdam's modern art museum, the Stedelijk:

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