Exquisite Pain depicts St Bartholomew flayed alive Enlarge Image

The piece, Exquisite Pain, shows the saint with his skin draped over his arm and a pair of scissors in his hand.

It has "a feel of a rape of the innocents about it," Hirst said.

The Duke Of Devonshire, who resides at Chatsworth House, presented the bronze statue at the launch of the Beyond Limits exhibition.

'Landmark event'

Other works positioned in the 105-acre gardens of the house include surrealist Salvador Dali's Newton de Gala - which depicts Sir Issac Newton with his famous apple - and a smaller version of Antony Gormley's the Angel Of The North.

There are also works by Henry Moore, Robert Indiana and Joan Miro on display at the exhibition, which has been put together by Sotheby's auction house.

Henry Moore's Reclining Figure is featured in the gardens

Anish Kapoor's giant Sky Mirror is also included, situated next to the house's famous fountain.

"We are enormously excited at the prospect of this exhibition, which we anticipate will be both a landmark event and a truly unforgettable experience for those who witness it," said Sotheby's Europe and Asia chief executive Robin Woodhead.

"There are, of course, many beautiful gardens and landscapes in Britain but few can compare with those at Chatsworth.

"While we explored many possibilities when seeking a venue for the exhibition, the magnificence of the grounds at Chatsworth marked it out as the obvious choice."