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Life Imitates Art

Life Imitates Art: Poltrona Frau’s Iconic Armchair Gets Whimsical Makeover Reminiscent of Damien Hirst Butterflies

Discover how life imitates art in unexpected moments of visual synchronicity

By Lucy Rees
Left: Pure as the Driven Snow (2007), by Damien Hirst. Right: Poltrona Frau's 1919 armchair.
Left: Pure as the Driven Snow (2007), by Damien Hirst. Right: Poltrona Frau's 1919 armchair. Photo: Courtesy of Poltrona Frau. Courtesy of Christie's Images LTD.

One of Poltrona Frau’s most recognizable editions, the 1919 armchair takes on a more whimsical aesthetic dressed in Fornasetti’s Ultime Notizie patterned leather, depicting a flurry of butterflies atop a collage of newspaper clippings about the brand.

Butterflies first appeared in artist Damien Hirst’s groundbreaking 1991 solo exhibition, “In and Out of Love,” and since then, they’ve become a recognizable recurring motif for him, as seen in this 2007 work, Pure as the Driven Snow, which explores the fragility of life.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Summer Issue in the section “Life Imitates Art.” Subscribe to the magazine.