- 73
Lennon, John
Estimate
12,000 - 15,000 USD
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Description
- Lennon, John
- Untitled illustration of a hairy woman holding a miniature man by the arm
- ink on paper
7 3/10 x 14 in.; 186 x 356 mm, ink drawing in black on single sheet (10 x 14 in.; 254 x 356 mm, unwatermarked), unsigned, adhesive tape marks, surface abrasions, slight browning
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Published on pages 52 and 53 of A Spaniard in the Works. Some surface abrasions reveal where Lennon has scraped away lines. Although appearing opposite the text of 'Araminta Ditch' the illustration does not directly correspond with the story. On the reverse of the sheet there is a second drawing, comprising an abandoned illustration crossed through in blue ink.
Philip Norman probably refers to this illustration on pp.520-521 of his biography:
"...one day in a London bookshop [Yoko Ono] was checking the O section for her poetry, Grapefruit, and in the adjacent L section found John Lennon: In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works. Flipping through the pages, she noticed... a picture of an ugly woman whose naked body was covered with flies. [It appears that Yoko Ono interpreted the hairs as flies.] As it happened, a similar image haunted Yoko's mind as a possible film idea. 'The book showed me John's soul,' she would later write. 'A witty, funny and relentlessly romantic spirit with a taste for the grotesque."