Elizabeth Peyton Sued Over Oasis Painting Sold for $1.92M

Elizabeth Peyton, an American artist, is being sued for copyright infringement by Welsh photographer Justin Thomas regarding her 1996 artwork 'Earl’s Court (Liam + Noel)', which portrays Oasis siblings Liam and Noel Gallagher. The lawsuit was filed on August 20 in the Southern District of New York's U.S. District Court, with David Zwirner Gallery and Sotheby’s listed as co-defendants. Thomas asserts that Peyton's painting is a 'servile copy' of his 1995 photograph, which appears in his 2024 publication 'How Does It Feel? Oasis 1995/2002'. In May, Sotheby’s auctioned the painting for $1.92 million. This isn't Peyton's first encounter with copyright disputes; she reached a settlement with photographer Dennis Morris in 2014. The case highlights ongoing debates about appropriation in modern art.