Rijksmuseum to Host First Stop on World Tour of Damien Hirst's For the Love of God

What's been called the most expensive piece of art ever created is coming to Amsterdam. From November 1 to December 15, the Rijksmuseum will display British artist Damien Hirst's For the Love of God, a diamond-encrusted human skull. Critics have dubbed the piece "out of this world," "celestial" and even "a ridiculous pop object." Whatever your opinion, the opportunity to see Hirst's morbid "bling" up close is exciting. The artist even selected 17th-century pieces from the Rijksmuseum's collection to accompany his own masterpiece. For the Love of God will make a global tour after its stop in Amsterdam.

The Rijksmuseum debut falls on Museumnacht ("Museum Night") in Amsterdam, an annual event of late-night cultural performances and exhibitions held in more than 40 of the city's museums. The unveiling couldn't be more timely, as that day also happens to be Dia de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead"), a Mexican holiday whose observers typically dress in skull-face costume. Hirst has even said he was inspired by Mexican and Aztec skulls covered in turquoise when designing his glittering dead head.

More About For the Love of God

• The life-sized, platinum-cast skull is encrusted with 8,601 flawless pavé-set diamonds, totaling more than 1,100 carats.
• The original skull Hirst used to mold the artwork dates to the 18th century; the teeth used in his creation are real human remains.
• The Skull Star Diamond -- a 50-carat, pear-shaped, light fancy-pink diamond -- adorns the skull's forehead.
• The skull was part of Hirst's exhibition "Beyond Belief," which opened at London's White Cube gallery in 2007, where its listed price was £ 50 million.
• Hirst sold two-thirds of the piece's value (when it was estimated at $100 million) to a group of investors; Hirst (who kept one-third) and the group aim to sell the skull privately.
• Hirst's dealer has said the skull could now be worth $200 million.

^{Pictured: Damien Hirst,} For the Love of God, 2007
Courtesy of Rijksmuseum, © Prudence Cuming Associates