A life-size bronze statue depicting John Lennon is expected to fetch up to £100,000 at auction later this month. The popular sculpture is currently located on Penny Lane in Liverpool, a site closely tied to the Beatles star and his fellow bandmate Sir Paul McCartney. This same location is recognised for inspiring the group's hit 1967 track of the same same.
First unveiled by artist Laura Lian in 2018 as a tribute to the late singer and his message of peace, the statue of Lennon has quickly become a landmark for fans since it was installed at the site in 2022. The almost 6ft-tall sculpture is cast in bronze with a green patina, mounted on a substantial bronze and steel base, and is visited by tens of thousands of Beatles fans each year. According to Lian, its intention was “to inspire the new generation and to reignite John and Yoko’s peace mission”, referring to the musician’s outspoken activism with his wife, Japanese artist Yoko Ono.
The sculpture has become part of Liverpool’s Beatles landscape and a regular fixture on tours taking fans to locations associated with the 1960s group, which also comprised Sir Ringo Starr, Sir Paul and George Harrison. Although Lennon died in 1980 aged 40, he is famed for his legacy in the Beatles – who are the best-selling musical act of all time and achieved 18 UK number one singles and 15 UK number one albums. The statue will be offered as lot 333 as part of a Beatles Collection sale at Omega Auctions, and is expected to fetch between £70,000 and £100,000 when it goes under the hammer on September 29.
Its sale follows the death of artist Lian in 2024 after a battle with “an aggressive cancer”. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
A replica will take its place at its Penny Lane location, and the original will be deep cleaned and repatinated before collection by its new owner. Omega Auctions director of operations and consignments Dan Muscatelli-Hampson said: “There can be few modern Beatles landmarks in Liverpool that have become so instantly recognisable in such a short space of time.
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