A talented fellow student of John Lennon’s at the Liverpool College of Art, Stuart Sutcliffe (1940–1962) played the bass (unremarkably, some note) in the first incarnation of the Beatles. Uncomfortable on stage, he soon left the group to devote himself to his art career; not long after, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of twenty-one. Original unsigned ink and wash sketch of a four-pronged figure, and a left hand (presumably Sutcliffe’s) reaching out, on an off-white 8 x 10.5 sheet from one of Sutcliffe’s art school sketchbooks, with the reverse bearing pencil sketches of a building’s facade and other architectural elements. In fine condition, with some scattered light soiling and ink marks. Sutcliffe’s sketchbooks were submitted as an application for admission to the Royal College of Art, and were the property of the Sutcliffe estate, sold at Bonhams in July 2003. Accompanied by a printed statement of provenance. Pre-certified Roger Epperson/REAL and RR Auction COA.
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