Rock photographer Justin Thomas has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in New York against artist Elizabeth Peyton, along with Sotheby's and David Zwirner Gallery, over a painting based on one of his 1995 Oasis photographs.
The image at the center of the dispute shows Liam and Noel Gallagher embracing at a London after-party in Earls Court, a rare moment between the brothers. Thomas says Peyton's 1996 painting, Earl's Court (Liam + Noel), closely follows the composition, subject, and emotional tone of his original photograph.
According to the filing, the work later sold at Sotheby's in New York for $1.92 million. The complaint also argues that the gallery and auction house benefited from reproducing and distributing images of the painting. Thomas says he had previously granted limited permission for a separate online catalogue use of his photo for a fee, before learning how central the image had become to the painting's market story.
Thomas has spent more than three decades documenting punk, rock, and Britpop figures, including The Clash, Prince, The Rolling Stones, and Iggy Pop. His Oasis photograph also appeared in his book How Does It Feel? - Oasis 1995-2002.
Peyton, known for figurative portraits drawn from photographs, has long worked at the intersection of image and painting. The case adds a new chapter to the ongoing conversation around authorship, transformation, and visual reuse in contemporary art. In the future, such disputes may further shape how artists, galleries, and institutions define creative ownership in the digital age.
