Stuart - The Life and Art of Stuart Sutcliffe

Price: £265

By Pauline Sutcliffe and Kay Williams
Introduction by Astrid Kirchherr
Afterword by Cynthia Lennon

Stuart - The Life and Art of Stuart Sutcliffe is a deeply personal tribute to this talented artist who was a close friend of John Lennon and an original member of The Beatles. Painstakingly researched and lovingly designed, the book begins with an account of Stuart's childhood and traces the development of his artistic talent from his time at Prescot Grammar School through to his days as a student at The Liverpool College of Art.

	The limited edition box set contains an illustrated biography of Stuart, as well as a facsimile reproduction of one of his sketchbooks, filled with paintings and drawings from Liverpool and Hamburg, which highlight Stuart's artistic development and state of mind at the time. The two volumes combine to provide the first comprehensive catalogue of Stuart Sutcliffe's art and an unrivalled view into the formative years of The Beatles.
A close friend and fellow art school student of Lennon's, Stuart was invited to join The Beatles as bass player for a series of gigs in Hamburg in 1960. Stuart's passion for his art (and marginal ability to play bass!) led him to leave the band and concentrate on his painting, he stayed in Hamburg with fiancé Astrid Kirchherr. Many art critics maintain that if Stuart had lived beyond his 21 years he would have become one of the great painters of our time.
Through extensive interviews with Paul McCartney, Astrid Kirchherr, Jürgen Vollmer, Cynthia Lennon and Stuart's family, friends and teachers, Stuart offers a fascinating and revealing insight into Stuart's life and The Beatles' early days in Liverpool and Hamburg. Stuart's close friendship with John Lennon and his deep love for Astrid Kirchherr are each explored more intimately than ever before.

Edition limited to 2,000 numbered copies, signed by Astrid Kirchherr, Pauline Sutcliffe and Kay Williams
Each volume master-printed in Italy and hand-bound by craftsmen superbly bound in quarter leather and linen, silk-screened in two colours
Facsimile sketchbook bound in paper-covered boards to closely match Stuart's original
Both volumes are housed in a robust matt-laminated slip-case onto which are printed two of Astrid Kirchherr's classic images of Stuart and The Beatles

LINKS BeatleLinks - The Beatles Internet Resource Guide