In the summer of 1966 the Beatles were in Japan, whirling through the first leg of what would be their final world tour. Hoping to forestall the dangerous excesses of Beatlemania, Japanese authorities confined the Fab Four to their hotel suite at Tokyo’s Hilton Hotel for almost the duration of their one-hundred-hour stay. Casting about for things to do, the Beatles fell to painting: each took upon himself to design one quadrant of an acrylic-and-watercolor artwork known as Images of a Woman, currently on offer from Christie’s as part of the auction house’s annual Exceptional Sale. The painting offers a novel look inside the collaborative practice of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, a story that is elaborated on in this week’s episode of our podcast Curious Objects by Casey Rogers, senior vice president at Christie’s.
Casey Rogers is an international specialist for Christie’s decorative arts department and head of the Exceptional Sale, New York, Christie’s platform for one-of-kind masterpieces and rare objects of extraordinary provenance. Rogers joined Christie’s in 2003 and currently oversees global business and client development for decorative arts auctions and private sales for New York, London, and Paris. As head of the Exceptional Sale, Rogers has overseen remarkable results for furniture, works of art, clocks, important musical instruments, and iconic memorabilia, including Les Paul’s personally owned prototype for his eponymous guitar, the Arizona Spike—a gold, silver, and steel railroad spike made to commemorate the joining of the transcontinental railroad—and a massive pair of Baccarat torchères sold on behalf of Warner Bros.
