Sotheby's will auction a 1996 portrait of Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher by American artist Elizabeth Peyton at its June contemporary art sale in London, with an estimate of £1.5m to £2m. The painting, based on a 1995 photograph by Stefan De Batselier, captures the siblings at the height of Britpop fame, shortly after Noel allegedly hit Liam with a cricket bat. Sotheby's specialist Antonia Gardner notes the "quiet tension" in the work and Peyton's tendency to feminize macho pop stars.
The sale comes as Oasis reunites for a 2025 tour after 16 years, reigniting massive public interest. The portrait's auction timing capitalizes on the band's enduring cultural and commercial power, with the reunion expected to generate over £1bn in fan spending. Peyton's work has strong market momentum—one of her Liam portraits sold for $4.1m last year—and this piece offers collectors a rare intersection of high art and pop culture history.