There is only one painting in the world that was created by the four Beatles together. It was made with Gekkoso Art Materials.
June 1966. The Beatles' historic visit to Japan was a great success, and for security reasons, the four members spent most of their stay holed up in the Tokyo Hilton Hotel (now The Capitol Hotel Tokyu) to protect themselves from the frenzy. Bored by the commute between the Budokan concert venue and the hotel, they ended up painting a legendary painting called "IMAGES OF A WOMAN." In fact, this work was painted entirely with Gekkoso art materials, including paints, brushes, and palettes.
A promoter who invited The Beatles to Japan, Tatsuji Nagashima, told a staff member, "The Beatles say they want to paint a picture. It doesn't matter if it's expensive, but please buy the best art supplies in Japan!" and the staff member ran to Gekkoso in Ginza to buy them. The horn mark of Gekkoso can be clearly seen in Shinpei Asai's photo collection "The Beatles in Tokyo, 1966."
The theme of the painting is "What each of us wants in life," and it is painted with a table lamp in the center, with each of the four people painting from one of the four corners. The white space where the lamp was placed is now white, and each person's signature is written there.
The production process was photographed by the Beatles' friend, photographer Robert Whittaker, who recalled, "I never saw the four of them looking more calm and content than at that moment. They stopped painting and went to play a concert at the Budokan, and when the show was over they rushed back to the hotel saying, 'Now, let's get back to painting.'"
The enthusiasm of fans was so great that they were unable to leave the hotel, which ultimately led to the creation of this work, and it seems a bittersweet episode for the Beatles, considering that in the midst of the frenzy at the Budokan where the concert was held, the four members were thinking about returning to the hotel and painting the painting.
Even if the body decays, the brilliance of the work will never fade. Gekkoso continues to walk together with artists today in order to preserve such authenticity.
Photo by Robert Whitaker
Photo by Benjamin Whitaker
