Portrait of George Harrison completes epic work which recognises 100 Liverpool greats

Aug 7 2008 by David Charters, Liverpool Daily Post

Artist Tony Brown with his portrait of George Harrison _320

WITH this magnificent portrait of George Harrison, a Liverpool artist has completed an epic work in praise of the city he loves.

In 2006, Tony Brown decided he wanted to celebrate the following year’s 800th anniversary of his city being granted its Royal Charter.

So he began painting the faces of 100 living Merseysiders, who had made a great contribution to Liverpool life.

This exhibition, called 100 Heads Thinking As One, proved so popu- lar that it has run right through this Capital of Culture year, where it has been shown at leading venues including St George’s Hall, both cathedrals, the Williamson Art Gallery in Birkenhead, and the atrium at the Daily Post and Echo building on Old Hall Street.

To crown it, Tony, 47, chose to add portraits of each of the four Beatles, the men who have been the greatest influence on his life.

"They showed that people who spoke like the rest of us could make it in the world. You can’t measure their influence, it has been so big," he says.

Now that George is finished, all four are to be displayed at St George’s Hall from the night of August 20 until August 28. Ringo was commissioned to coincide with the Capital of Culture opening ceremony.

The exhibition will be opened by Cllr Steve Rotheram (cor), Lord Mayor of Liverpool, with an introductory talk from Spencer Leigh, of Radio Merseyside.

What had Tony wanted to say about George in the portrait?

"I would like people to see that he was the equal of Paul and John the other two, though in The Beatles he was often overshadowed and presented as the quiet one or the shy one," he says.

"But I think he had every inch of the talent of Paul and John. You have to remember that, after The Beatles, he had his own life as a solo artist, a gardener, a husband and a father. There was also his spiritual side – his quest for inner peace.

"I read his book I, Me, Mine, when I was painting the portrait. People forget how funny and witty George was. He had the humour of a real British eccentric."

davidcharters@dailypost.co.uk