Hirst donates works to Tate

Damien Hirst has donated four of his works to the Tate in London, including his famous pickled cow and calf.

The other gifts include a canvas covered in dead black flies, a vitrine containing cigarettes and ashtrays and an arrangement of seashells.

The donation is the first major offering by the Turner Prize winner, following years of talks with the gallery.

Mother And Child Divided, made up of bisected halves of a cow and calf displayed in tanks of formaldehyde solution, is the most famous of the works donated.

The Bristol-born artist, who recently sold a diamond-encrusted skull for £50 million, said: "It means a lot to me to have works in the Tate. I would have never thought it possible when I was a student.

"I think giving works from my collection is a small thing if it means millions of people get to see the work displayed in a great space."

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