Beatles painting sells for over $1.7 million

When not performing, The Beatles stayed in the VIP room of the Tokyo Hilton hotel to paint Images of a Woman .

A painting believed by some experts to be the only work of art created by all four Beatles members was sold at Christie's auction house in New York on February 1.

Images of a Woman

" Images of a Woman is estimated to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000 because it 'crystallizes a magical moment in the history of The Beatles,'" Casey Rogers, a Christie's art expert, told CNN in a phone interview. "Its final sale price was nearly three times its high estimate: $1,744,000."

Rogers commented on the 50 x 75 cm painting: "It is rare to have a work outside the music catalog that has contributions from all four members of The Beatles. It is a memento, a work of art that attracts many collectors."

Outside of shows—except for two occasions when Paul McCartney and John Lennon snuck out with members of their entourage to go on a sightseeing adventure in Tokyo—the group remained in their hotel rooms at the behest of local authorities, who were concerned about the Beatles' safety.

The Beatles arrive at Tokyo airport during their tour of Japan in 1966.

The band's visit to the land of the rising sun has attracted both fans and protesters, with reports of threats from ultra-nationalists who have joined demonstrations angry at a Western rock band performing at an arena considered the spiritual home of Japanese martial arts.

According to a Christie's press release, a customer presented them with paper, brushes, paints, and watercolors. The group quickly gathered around a table, with each Beatles member sitting in a corner, drawing whatever they wanted.

Photographer Robert Whitaker was there to capture the group at work. "I have never seen them more calm or content than at that moment," he commented.

The Beatles were no strangers to the visual arts. John Lennon and Paul McCartney studied art. Christie's added that both George Harrison and Ringo Starr "painted regularly and with a wide range of artistic abilities."

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison (from left) attend a press conference in Tokyo in 1966

Each corner of the painting reflects the individual, with a variety of shapes, colors, and even the type of paint or watercolor used. Harrison's part features darker, angrier brushstrokes, while Starr's is smaller and more cartoonish. Christie's notes that both Lennon and McCartney painted primarily in acrylics, while Harrison and Starr relied more on watercolors.

According to Christie's, The Beatles never officially titled their painting, but it became known as Images of a Woman in the late 1980s. "It's all very pleasing to the eye. I think the painting was just for the members to express themselves," Casey Rogers said.

After its completion, the painting was purchased by entertainment executive Tetsuaburo Shimoyama, who was then the president of the Beatles' Tokyo fan club. In 1989, it was purchased by record store owner Takao Nishino, who put it up for auction in 2012. Nishino had previously revealed that he had kept the painting under his bed for many years.

After deciding to part with the painting, Nishino told reporters: "At first, I thought it would be best to preserve it as part of Japan's cultural heritage. The painting has never left Japan in 46 years. But the Beatles phenomenon was and always will be a global phenomenon."

"I think Images of a Woman reflects 100 hours of work the Beatles did together. It was probably one of the last times they sat down together," Rogers said.

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