As anticipation for Oasis’s reunion tour builds, a portrait of Liam and Noel Gallagher painted by Elizabeth Peyton is poised to sell for millions alongside works by Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat and other 20th-century masters at Sotheby’s upcoming Contemporary Evening Auction in London.
The oil painting, created on a canvas measuring 26.25 by 22×25 inches in 1996, reinterprets a promotional photo of the iconic Britpop brothers by late Belgian photographer Stefan De Batselier. While the oversized tracksuit and collared shirt is very typical of their attire and image, the almost tender pose, with Liam resting head Noel’s shoulders, is a rare portrayal of brotherly love between the rockstar siblings, who are famous for their public feuds with one another.
Sotheby’s has more info on the context behind the work:
At the time of its making, the brothers’ increasingly strained relationship had become tabloid fodder, a counterpoint to their musical success. Peyton subtly channels this undercurrent of discord: though the painting depicts a moment of connection, it is laden with the knowledge of fracture to come. The delicacy of Peyton’s brushwork and the almost translucent rendering of the figures serve to heighten this emotional tension, creating a visual atmosphere that is as ephemeral as it is evocative.
Throughout art history, the double portrait has served as a powerful site for exploring relationships: familial, fraternal, romantic, and psychological. Peyton’s Liam + Noel (Gallagher) certainly participates in this lineage. From Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait (1434) and Frida Kahlo’s The Two Fridas (1939) to David Hockney’s Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy (1968), the format offers a unique lens through which to examine identity not as singular, but as relational.
Liam & Noel carries a substantial pre-sale estimate, ranging between $2 and $2.7 million, reflecting its strong market appeal and Peyton’s established reputation. It’s being sold among several crown jewel-worthy works by legends, many of which carry even more substantial pre-auction estimates. Roy Lichtenstein’s Purist Still Life with Pitcher is valued at between $3.4 and $4.8 million, while Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (Indian Head) ranges from $5.4 to $8.1 million. Nu assis dans un fauteuil by Pablo Picasso could reach into the eight-figure range with a valuation of $8.1 to $12.2 million, as could the similarly valued Tamara de Lempicka by The Beautiful Rafaela.
Liam and Noel will cross the auction block just weeks before the Oasis Live ’25 tour, which marks the first time the brothers have played on stage together since 2009, kicks off July 4. The 41-concert jaunt includes performances in the UK, Ireland, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Brazil. While tickets for the North American dates are already sold out, the tour will be filmed for a feature-length documentary produced by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace (Meet Me In The Bathroom).
