Painting by all The Beatles Whilst In Japan Sets Record

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“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” was all an exhausted Philip Weiss could say at the conclusion of a huge multi-estate sale held Sept. 13-15, at which Beatles items fetched top dollars and proved once again the lads from Liverpool still reign supreme with collectors. The top lot was a painting done collaboratively by all four boys in 1966 in Japan. It fetched $155,250.

The Beatles visited Japan only once – in 1966, and for exactly 100 hours. They were bored, holed up in their VIP suite in Tokyo’s Hilton Hotel, so to pass the time they were given a 30 inch by 40 inch paper and some paints and told to have some fun (either by the Japanese promoter of the tour or Brian Epstein, the group’s manager). The result was Images of a Woman.

The paper was placed on a table, with a lamp in the center. Working by the light of the lamp, each Beatle decorated his quarter of the canvas with oil paints and watercolors. Paul’s had a symmetrical, psychedelic feel; John’s had a dark center, surrounded by thick oils; George’s was large and colorful; Ringo’s was cartoon-like. The white center was signed by all the Beatles.

When done, the group presented the painting as a gift to Tetsuaburo Shimoyama, the Beatles’ fan club president in Japan. It has changed hands a few times over the years, and the consignor for this auction was a collector from Japan. “This was the Holy Grail of Beatles collectibles,” Weiss said, “a true one-of-a-kind piece, one that all four Beatles had a hand in.”

The painting was the headliner in an active three-day event that saw 1,460 lots come up for bid and grossed nearly $800,000. Between 125 and 150 people attended the auction live, while another 1,200-1,500 registered to bid online, through Proxibid.com and Auctionzip.com. Phone and absentee bidding was also brisk. “I wish all my auctions were like this,” Weiss said.