John Lennon and Paul McCartney sponsor painting exhibition by Jonathan Hague

JOHN AND PAUL HELP LIVERPOOL PAINTER

The Beatles have always shown themselves very ready to help any of their Liverpool friends. Recently John and Paul sponsored an exhibition for 22 year old Jonathan Hague, at the Royal Institute Gallery in London.

John Lennon and Jonathan Hague were both students at the Liverpool College of Art and John is very anxious to help Jonathan’s work to become known by a much wider public.

The subjects for his painting are certainly varied. Up to now they include Sir Winston Churchill, Vincent Van Gogh, Mick Jagger and of course, The Beatles.

From The Beatles Monthly Book – January 1968

Two Beatles help an old artist friend

Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney have sponsored a one-man exhibition of the work of Llandudno artist John Hague which opened at the Royal London Institute Galleries, London.

All three students at Liverpool College of Art. John Hague renewed the acquaintance when The Beatles went to Bangor in August to meditate with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

John Lennon was much impressed with Hague’s work, especially his painting of The Beatles, which John bought. With Paul McCartney, he offered to give financial backing for a London exhibition.

From Liverpool College Of Art, John Hague, of Bryniau Road, Llandudno, won a scholarship to Holland, where he studied for three years.

Hague has held exhibitions in Holland, Bangor and Glasgow. His pictures have been sold in Germany, Holland, America and… Laos.

From Liverpool Daily Post – December 4, 1967

Beatles will sponsor his art show

A LEAMINGTON artist is being sponsored in a one-man show in London by Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Mr. John Hague, aged 29, who lives at Clarendon Square, Leamington, sold a painting of the Beatles to John Lennon two months ago.

Now John and Paul McCartney are paying for Mr. Hague to have a one-man exhibition in London at the Royal Institute Galleries.

Mr. Hague and John Lennon studied together at the Liverpool College Of Art and they renewed their friendship when the Beatles with Maharishi Yogi spent a weekend at Bangor, Mr. Hague’s home town.

LECTURER

Mr. Hague. who is now a lecturer at the Birmingham College of Art, said today: “I showed him my work one day. He liked this painting and wanted it then.

“He said first of all he would pay for it and we agreed to talk about the sum later. Then this exhibition came along,” he said. He said the painting would probably be part payment of the cost of staging the exhibition in London.

Without the Beatles’ help, he could never have arranged the exhibition in London.

“They are helping me completely,” he said. “I was not showing my work at all. I was just storing it.”

He said he will be showing about 30 of his paintings in the exhibition.

Mr. Hague said that he first met Paul McCartney at Liverpool.

“I only knew him because he was a friend of John’s,” he said.

Mr. Hague won a state scholarship to study painting at The Hague, in Holland, and he sold many of his paintings while he was there.

“I lived off my paintings in Holland,” he said.

His paintings will be on show on Monday and he hopes that John Lennon and Paul McCartney will both be there.

From Birmingham Evening Mail – December 2, 1967

Beatles’ old pal’s act helps artist

JOHN LENNON, an art student before he became one of the Beatles, attended the private showing of a one-man exhibition by a former classmate at the Royal Institute Gallery, Piccadilly, London, last night.

He and Paul McCartney had sponsored the exhibition by Jonathon Hague (29), his classmate at Liverpool College of Art and now a teacher at Birmingham College of Art.

“I went there in 1957,” said Mr. Hague. “He was just beginning to become known with the group when I left Liverpool, in 1963.”

“I was selected by the British Council for a Netherland State scholarship for a year but finally spent three years in Holland. I kept in touch with John and saw him again when I returned to Britain.”

Mr. Hague, who has had several one-man exhibitions in Holland, said he unsuccessfully tried to obtain a one-man show in Britain and eventually approached the Beatles, who sponsored him at the Royal Institute.

“John and Paul saw my work and liked it and offered me a lump sum of £800, if I could find a gallery, mount a show, print the catalogues and so on” said Mr. Hague, surrounded by 39 paintings at prices from £110 to £800.

John Lennon arrived late at the preview and after being conducted round the exhibits by Mr. Hague said in his opinion the paintings were “just great.”

When asked his view on a four man study entitled “Beatles – Sgt. Pepper” he said “that’s near it.”

From The Guardian Journal – December 5, 1967