Other than his excellence at his sport, David Beckham has many claims to fame – his fashion style, his wife, his voice, and his tattoos… Beckham’s tattoo collection is a bit of a mishmash, incorporating elements of personal and religious symbolism and reference to his wife and two sons. It is all presented through Sanskrit, Hebrew, Latin, some crosses, angels, 7 which was his Man United jersey number. Some of his ink designs honour his wife and their three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.
Just before his arrival in Los Angeles to play for Galaxy, Becks had the tattoos on his right forearm blended into one large design, turning it all into one complete sleeve. The lower arm continued the angelic theme started on his upper arm. Then he got a large, topless portrait of Posh Spice, or Victoria Beckham, his wife, that takes up his entire right forearm.
Another tattoo is a Chinese proverb that runs down the left side of his torso from armpit to waist. It is said to mean: “Death and life have determined appointments. Riches and honour depend upon heaven.” A source said about this that it: “uses a completely different technique to all the others. It appears on his skin as if it has been brushed on. It is a really intricate process and unique to Hong Kong.
It also is said that David Beckham’s hero is the heavily tattooed character Michael Scofield in US TV drama Prison Break.
Beckham has many other tattoos including an angel across his back, a cross on his neck and the name Victoria written in Hindi on his left arm. Unfortunately, it seems this one was misspelled, adding an ‘h’ into the name where there should not be one.
Posh and Becks have matching Hebrew tattoos which translate as: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
He has been criticised by his friend and old tattooist, London-based Louis Malloy. It seems Malloy reckons he ought to receive a percentage from Beckham’s modeling fees for ad campaigns that have featured the tattoos prominently. The current concensus is that copyright and ownership of tattooing is a new battleground in the art world and only time will tell how this case will play out.
