Andy Warhol

The Beatles

About this artwork

In 1980, a book called ‘The Beatles’ was published about the British pop group. Warhol designed the front cover which is based on a photograph by the celebrity photographer Dezo Hoffmann. Warhol has incorporated blocks of irregularly shaped colour, which, although screenprinted, appear like collaged fragments of coloured paper. The hand-drawn lines have also been printed. The vibrant, contrasting colours are characteristic of Warhol's work and evoke similarities with psychedelic album covers that The Beatles produced in the 1960s. Warhol is, however, more associated with The Rolling Stones than The Beatles, preferring their ‘bad-boy’ image to The Beatles' ‘squeaky clean’ look.

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987) American
  • title:
    The Beatles
  • date created:
    1980
  • materials:
    Screenprint on paper
  • measurements:
    31.30 x 91.50 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00409
  • gallery:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol