British artist Stuart Sutcliffe, former bassist for The Beatles

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Stuart Sutcliffe was born in the middle of June (23.06.40) in Edinburgh, Scotland. His life was short (he died at the age of 21), but productive and eventful. Despite the fact that he died at a young age, Stewart managed to leave his mark on this world and left in the midst of creativity.

Childhood and adolescence

The Stewart family was small but very united. The father, who was an officer in the navy, was often away from home, and therefore, as a child, his son rarely saw him. But his life was brightened up by two sisters and his mother, a school teacher named Millie.

Stuart Sutcliffe went to the Prescott school in Liverpool, and when he graduated, he entered the art college, which was in the same city. By the way, it was in this educational institution that he met John Lennon, and this meeting became fateful for him.

Even in his school years, Stuart began to learn the art of painting and it should be noted that this was given to him verynot bad. It is worth noting that a good artist came out of him, but a new friend persuaded him to try himself in the musical field as a bass player. So he became part of the legendary group The Beatles, which was originally called the Quarrymen.

The Beatles

To say that he is a brilliant guitarist is not quite the truth. Because the playing technique was not first-class, and the passion for painting prevented me from becoming a good musician. Tried to be in time everywhere Stuart Sutcliffe. The Beatles inspired him, but he could not live without a brush in his hands.

The composition of the group initially consisted of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Sutcliffe, and a little later, a wonderful drummer and professional Best joined them, and already in full force the Beatles changed their place of residence and moved to Hamburg, where gave their creativity to people until the end of 1960.

Love

Already being a member of the group, the British artist met a sweet girl named Astrid Kirchherr, who was seriously interested in photography and at the same time received her education at the Hamburg College. This meeting influenced Sutcliffe's decision to transfer from Liverpool College to the Hamburg educational institution of the same profile.

He did not hesitate for a long time and already in the fall (November) at the age of 20 he proposed to his beloved, and in the same month their engagement took place. This remarkable event happened when Stuart Sutcliffe visited Hamburg for the first time as a rock musician. On the second visit (in 1961d.) he finally stays in this town, where he continues to do what he loves - painting.

During this very period, he also decides to leave the group and leaves the musical group. The Beatles start touring without him.

Painting

Student Helen Anderson, who studied with Stewart, recalled the young artist's work in the early period as aggressive, filled with dark gloomy shades.

But not all works were imbued with Gothic. There were also unique early works among the paintings, and the painting “Summer Painting”, which was partially acquired by Mures, occupied a worthy place among them. Interestingly, this work was not written on an ordinary canvas. It was depicted on a school blackboard, and in order to transport it to a new place, it had to be cut into two equal parts. It is also reliably known that only part of the work (half of the painting) got to the exhibition, and Mures bought the second one.

In the summer of 1961, becoming a student at the prestigious Hamburg College, he got to the teacher Paolizzi. The teacher wrote flattering reviews about his talented student and even called him one of the most promising and gifted. Stuart Sutcliffe could become a famous and highly paid artist. This young man's paintings were dynamic and mysterious.

Later works, usually un titled, were built in the spirit of Stael. The paintings were done with linear subjects, andtherefore, it seemed that all the objects depicted on them had a closed enclosed space.

He often depicted people, in his collection there is even a portrait of his own mother. These paintings are more like sketches, but they look great. It is in such works that a real artist reveals his soul, these are imperfect lines, but they accurately convey the facial features of a loved one.

First exhibition and auction

Many connoisseurs of the work of young talent found the similarity of the paintings made by Sutcliffe's pen with the works of European masters of the United States of America, who were considered expressionists. But only one work was shown at an exhibition in the autumn of 1959 in Liverpool as part of the Moores show.

Already after the end of the show, the painting was bought for a very modest price, which amounted to the wages of a simple worker for 2 months.

Death of a gifted artist and rock musician

The lifestyle that the artist and musician led led him to a cerebral hemorrhage, from which he died on April 10, 1962.

The exact diagnosis and cause of death could not be established, but, according to some versions, it was suggested that head injuries were inflicted in a fight with hooligans, which led to death. And it happened after the performance of The Beatles during a tour of England. Few testimonies speak of an attack on the Beatles by a drunken company of inveterate hooligans who were dissatisfied with the concert. Paul was also injured in this fight. McCartney, but escaped with minor bruises, but Stewart was less fortunate, and from his brain injuries he died in his prime.

That's how tragically died Stuart Sutcliffe. The cause of death changed many times, but the fact was that the world would not see any more paintings by this strange artist.

Success

The musician managed to play only three works that became rock legends. They were included on the album Anthology 1. On the cover of this musical hit, a photograph of Sutcliffe flaunts at the top, on the right. This mention of his work can still be found on the covers of old music albums, which is very pleasing to many fans who are fond of celebrity biographies.

Stuart Sutcliffe lived a short life, but forever remained in the memory of many people. He is remembered by fans of The Beatles, and seekers of unusual paintings in their living room. He could become a nugget who managed to reveal the true creative potential in himself. It is not known how his life would have been without that meeting with hooligans. You can guess about it endlessly, but it's better to just study his paintings, which are filled with fears, dark corners and incomprehensible silhouettes. He saw the world a little differently than people who are used to living and working in gray offices. The guy was part of a famous musical group, and maybe that's why his work is still in price.