O pened in 1998 by Damien Hirst, the enfant terrible of the Young British Artists, Pharmacy committed to its theme in every detail. Din﷽ing in the Notting Hill restaurant was like entering one of his medicine cabinet artworks—waiters wore Prada-designed surgical gow꧟ns, salt and pepper shakers took the form of glass ampoules, and the house wine was a bottle of “pH.”

Almost as quickly as it won a Cool Britannia celebrity clientele, however, the enterprise stirred controversy. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society threatened legal action over its name and, after a string of troubles, the restaurant closed in 2003. While on a passing bus, Sotheby’s auctioneer Oliver Barker spotted the contents being removed and had the idea for a radical au𝔉ction—the first to offer works directly and exclusively consigned by a living artist.

The 166 lots yielded £11.1 million and the sale sealed his place in art market history. Followin🐟g the auction🌞, Hirst said, “Suddenly my restaurant venture seems to be a success.”