Nathaniel Mary Quinn was commissioned to create the cover art for the Rolling Stones' new album *Foreign Tongues*, due July 10, after a three-way call with Mick Jagger and producer Andrew Watt. Over nine months, Quinn developed a composite portrait merging the faces of Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, and also redesigned the band's iconic tongue-and-lips logo. The process involved regular conversations with Jagger and Richards, a private rehearsal session, and a lunch at the Baccarat Hotel, culminating in the band choosing Quinn's original composite over a second option featuring a vintage sports car.
The collaboration matters because it bridges contemporary visual art and rock music, elevating album cover design as a serious artistic endeavor—Elton John even told Quinn he had "made album covers cool again." Quinn retained copyright to both paintings after extensive legal negotiations, highlighting the growing importance of artists' rights in high-profile commercial partnerships. The project also underscores how major musicians like the Rolling Stones seek out fine artists for branding, reinforcing the cultural cachet of gallery-represented painters like Quinn.