The Only Painting Crafted By All Four Beatles Heads To Auction

Beyond co-writing enduring songs, The Beatles ventured into collaborative visual art. Crafted in 1966 by all four members, this artwork is now estimated at $400,000 to $600,000 USD ahead of auction.

The legendary Beatles, known for crafting timeless tunes, did more than just conquer the music world together. A painting, a collaborative masterpiece from the Beatles in the swinging ’60s has resurfaced. 

READ ALSO: The Last Song: The Beatles Releases New Song ‘Now And Then’ With The Late John Lennon’s Voice Through AI

The Sole Masterpiece: The Only Painting Crafted By All Four Beatles, With An Estimated $600,000 Value, Heads To Auction
The Beatles/Photo via Instagram @thebeatles

Fab Four’s Art

The Beatles' "Images of a Woman" (1966)
The Beatles’ “Images of a Woman” (1966)/Photo via Christie’s official website

This unique artwork, often dubbed “Images of a Woman” (1966), stands out as the sole canvas. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr joined forces and left their autographs. 

Christie’s, the esteemed auction house, is set to feature this exclusive piece in The Exceptional Sale starting on February 1. The estimated value ranges from $400,000 to $600,000 USD.

“It’s such a rarity to have a work on paper outside of their music catalog that is [a] physical relic. This tangible object with contributions from all four of the Beatles,” shared Christie’s specialist Casey Rogers with News Miami

“It’s memorabilia, it’s a work of art… it’s a wonderful piece of storytelling.”

Brushstrokes of Legends

The birth of this artistic collaboration unfolded in a Hilton Hotel room during the Beatles' tour in Japan.
Photo via Christie’s official website

The birth of this artistic collaboration unfolded in a Hilton Hotel room during the Beatles’ tour in Japan between June 29 and July 3, 1966. 

Altogether due to the fear of zealous fans outside, the band found solace and creativity around a table. 

Each corner of a single piece of Japanese paper became a canvas, with every band member contributing towards the center. 
Photo via Christie’s official website

Each corner of a single piece of Japanese paper became a canvas, with every band member contributing towards the center. 

Photographer Robert Whitaker, who documented the tour, recalled, “They’d stop [painting], go and do a concert, then it was ‘Let’s go back to the picture!’”

“I never saw them calmer or more contented than at this time,” said Whitaker.

Photographer Robert Whitaker, who documented the tour, recalled, "They’d stop [painting], go and do a concert, then it was 'Let’s go back to the picture!'”
Photo via Christie’s official website

Artful Harmony

Beyond their musical prowess, it turns out all four Beatles had a knack for drawing. 

John Lennon and Paul McCartney, as revealed by Christie’s, were initially on an art school trajectory before choosing the path of music. 

“They never discussed what they were painting,” added Whitaker. “It evolved naturally.” 

The painting itself remained untitled until two decades later when it got the moniker “Images of a Woman” (1966). 

The naming inspiration came from a Japanese journalist who claimed to spot “female genitals” in the quadrant painted by McCartney.

The painting itself remained untitled until two decades later when it got the moniker “Images of a Woman” (1966). 
Photo via Christie’s official website

From Stage to Canvas

This piece as it prepares for another auction run at Christie's on February 1.
Photo via Christie’s official website

The painting’s journey took it from being a gift to The Beatles Fan Club in Tokyo, later acquired by club president Tetsusaburo Shimoyama. 

He cherished it for four decades before parting ways with it at Weiss Auctions in New York in 2012. 

Now, the spotlight is back on this remarkable piece as it prepares for another auction run at Christie’s on February 1.

READ ALSO: Here, There, and Everywhere: Paul McCartney Opens Up About John Lennon’s Concerns On How He’d Be Remembered

Banner photo Christie’s official website.

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