The four pop juggernaut icons of The Beatles only ever "came together" to paint one time, during their 1966 tour in Japan's famous Nippon Budokan arena. What spawned from the rare collaboration was their piece "Images of a Woman."
That painting was then sold for $1,744,000 at a Christie's New York auction last Thursday, Feb. 1, which was almost three-fold the initial estimate that teetered between $400,000 to $600,000 when the sale was first announced last December.
In a phone interview with CNN, the auction house's specialist Casey Rogers said that this sale "crystallizes a magic moment in Beatles history."
Where the 'Magic Moment' in Beatles History Happened
According to Christie's lot essay about the piece, the magic occurred in the Fab Four's room in the Hilton Hotel in Tokyo, numbered 1005. Not unlike any other room they've come across during their countless tours, it was a Presidential Suite.
However, it only served as a sort of opulent and lavish "jail" for the four members because they were requested to spend most of their time in it, following reports of aggression from Japanese nationalists.
With the Japanese authorities on high alert, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr had no choice but to hunker down in their hotel room.
Well, aside, from two occasions. For one, Paul was able to escape for a few hours into an early morning escapade to the nearby Imperial Palace alongside Mal Evans. On the other hand, Lennon went on a street stroll with Neil Aspinall.
So, although they were confined for a while, the four Beatles were able to find something to do, especially after receiving gifts. One of which is a set of top-quality Japanese art supplies that the musical icons could play around with.
Thankfully, photographer Robert Whitaker was there to capture such a rare and "enchanting" moment.
Photographer Robert Whitaker's Account of the Moment
Thanks to Brian Epstein, the group's witty manager and also Whitaker's, he was able to gain an "insider" status which allowed him to travel alongside The Beatles on their 1966 summer tour through West Germany, Japan, and the Philippines.
According to Whitaker's account of the event, which the auction house quoted in its website release, the four put to use the art materials they got by laying a fine Japanese art paper on top of a table. To weigh it down, the four used a table lamp.
After setting up their stations, which are just four chairs and a quadrant on the paper dedicated to each Beatle, they started working under the measly light of that one table lamp.
Whitaker took a photo of the paint palette the four used for their collective artwork, which had its 21 compartments splattered with varying colors. To start and lay the foundations, the group used vermillion to give the piece a completely red backdrop.
Afterward, each Beatle toiled in each of their quadrants with each a different and unique approach. As per Whitaker, this became quite the routine across days, as the band members would return to their painterly task after each performance.
"They'd stop [painting], go and do a concert, then it was "Let's go back to the picture!'" Whitaker recounted. "I never saw them calmer or more contented than at this time."
