Elizabeth Peyton’s 1996 portrayal of Liam + Noel Gallagher, painted at the height of Oasis’s Britpop fame, quietly sold at Sotheby’s London this June, just tipping past its low estimate to total £1.99 million including fees

Painted from a Stefan De Batselier promotional image, Peyton’s technique attenuates the brothers' swagger, honing in on their muted intimacy: Noel’s chin rests gently on Liam’s shoulder, an evocative gesture that softens their public personas and reveals the fissures beneath their tough exterior.

This painting stands as a landmark in Peyton’s oeuvre, one of four dual portraits she created of the Gallagher brothers—another resides in SFMOMA—and follows last year’s record-breaking sale of her solo Blue Liam, which fetched $4.1 million.

As Oasis embark on a much-anticipated 2025 reunion tour—one that has already become a cultural juggernaut—Peyton’s portrait resurfaces at a moment of renewed fascination. Sotheby’s head of contemporary evening sales, Antonia Gardner, noted the timing as “perfect,” aligning with the band’s return and the painting’s understated reckoning of celebrity and sibling dynamics.

By eschewing flamboyant theatrics in favour of a quieter, more contemplative intimacy, Peyton positions this work at the intersection of public myth and private vulnerability—an approach that continues to set her apart in the field of portrait painting.