Stuart Sutcliffe

Stuart Sutcliffe (1940–62) is infamously renowned for his short tenure as “the fifth Beatle” and original bass player for the band—and for his tragic death from a brain hemorrhage at the young age of twenty-one. Less well known are the stylistic contributions he made to both the Beatles—from creating the name of the band with John Lennon to inspiring their original “mop top” cuts—and to the Liverpool and Hamburg art scenes. This volume combines fascinating details from Sutcliffe’s time in the pubs, flats, and classrooms of Liverpool and Hamburg with an exploration of Sutcliffe’s art. With contributions from Stuart’s lover and the acclaimed photographer Astrid Kirchherr, eminent art historian Donald Kuspitt and writer John Savage, as well as thirty-two color images from Sutcliffe’s work and numerous unpublished black-and-white photos of the artist and members of the Beatles, Stuart Sutcliffe: A Retrospective is a visually stunning celebration of the man, his music, and his art.