An exercise in art criticism

Damien Hirst's Bilotti paintings - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - are four huge canvases in four huge wooden frames, commissioned for display in a deconsecrated chapel in Rome.

Mark is in blue paint, with brown dirt. John is in green paint, with brown dirt. Luke is in red paint, with brown dirt. And Matthew is in brown paint, with brown dirt.

Clearly, they fall into the category "mixed media", with each painting including - besides paint and dirt - butterflies, pens and paper (a page from the Bible), and a neatly marshalled selection of small items - razorblades, pills, and crucifixes, or similar. Oh, and mirrors, to reflect the religious texts inscribed in Latin on the sides of the canvas.

I think Matthew has the prettiest butterflies, with John coming a close second. Mark has possibly the prettiest pen.

According to the first of the quoted texts, Matthew 6:33, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Which is nice.
Apparently if I seek God, I shall find dirt, sharp objects, pharmaceuticals and butterflies. Not necessarily in that order. I think I'd like to have the butterflies added unto me, but I'm not so keen on the razorblades.

Or the crucifixes.