Photographer Justin Thomas sues artist Elizabeth Peyton over Oasis copyright

Photographer Justin Thomas has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against artist Elizabeth Peyton, her gallery David Zwirner, and auction house Sotheby’s. The suit alleges that Peyton’s 1996 painting, ‘Earl’s Court (Liam + Noel)’, is a “slavish copy” of Thomas’s 1995 photograph of Oasis founders Liam and Noel Gallagher.

The photograph, which captures a rare moment of intimacy between the famously feuding brothers, was later featured on the cover of Thomas’s 2024 Oasis photobook. Thomas claims the painting replicates nearly every element of his work, including composition, facial expressions, and the placement of Liam Gallagher’s rings.

The legal dispute surfaced after Sotheby’s sought to license Thomas’s photograph for an online essay accompanying an auction. Thomas alleges that after he agreed to a reduced licensing fee, Peyton’s team requested the photo be removed from the materials in an attempt to “hide the origins of the painting.” The painting in question recently sold at Sotheby’s for $1.92 million.