Danziger Gallery Sold AI-Generated Ansel Adams Photo Without Permission
The Danziger Gallery in New York recently exhibited and offered for sale an AI-generated version of Ansel Adams' well-known photograph, “Moonrise Over Hernandez,” without consulting the Ansel Adams Trust. This action was condemned by the Trust, which labeled it a significant ethical oversight. The work, tagged as “A.I. Generated” and created using the prompt to produce a realistic color rendition of Adams’ original, was crafted by master printer Esteban Mauchi in a limited run of ten across three sizes (20x24, 24x30, and 30x40 inches). This piece was featured at The Photography Show from April 22 to April 26, 2026, as part of a commercial project that leveraged Adams’ legacy. The Trust contacted gallery owner James Danziger for its removal, yet the image stayed on the website without any response to inquiries at that time. Since it’s AI-generated, it lacks copyright protection.
Key facts
- Danziger Gallery sold an AI-generated version of Ansel Adams' 'Moonrise Over Hernandez' without permission.
- The work was displayed at The Photography Show at Park Avenue Armory, April 22–26, 2026.
- The Ansel Adams Trust was not consulted and demanded removal.
- The Trust accused the gallery of leveraging Adams' name for a commercial AI colorization venture.
- The image was printed by Esteban Mauchi in editions of 10 in three sizes.
- The Trust stated its concerns are about artists' rights, not AI itself.
- The image remained on the Danziger Gallery website as of publication.
- The AI-generated image is ineligible for copyright protection.
Entities
Artists
- Ansel Adams
- James Danziger
- Esteban Mauchi
- Seydou Keïta
- Hoda Afshar
- Matthew Porter
- Pete Souza
- David Hume Kennerly
- Deborah Willis
Institutions
- Danziger Gallery
- Ansel Adams Trust
- Park Avenue Armory
- AIPAD
- PetaPixel
- ArtNews
- Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust
- Adobe
- ARTnews
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- New York
Sources
- PetaPixel —
- ArtsJournal —