A “prescient” painting of Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher at the height of their sibling rivalry is set to be sold at Sotheby’s for up to £2m.
The picture, titled Liam + Noel (Gallagher), was created in 1996 by Elizabeth Peyton after being inspired by a photograph of the musician brothers taken by Stefan De Batselier the year before.
It was finished in the same year that Noel is reported to have hit his older brother Liam with a cricket bat.
Valued at between £1.5m and £2m, the painting will be sold at Sotheby’s auction house on 24 June as part of the establishment’s summer art auction.
Painted in oil on oil panel, it measures 66.5cm by 56.5cm and shows Liam, wearing a collared shirt, stood behind Noel, who is wearing an oversized tracksuit,
The photo, which depicts the band’s signature Mancunian style, will be sold weeks before Oasis embark on their reunion tour after a years-long feud between the warring brothers finally ended.
“It feels so prescient, knowing now how it all ended up,” Sotheby’s specialist Antonia Gardner told The Guardian, referring to the “quiet tension” embodied in the image. She added that “it feels like this is just the most perfect moment for this painting to come up again” as the Oasis rivalry has come “full circle”.
“Peyton always slightly feminises these big male, macho pop stars. You’ve got bright red lips, almost soft rosy cheeks, aquiline noses. Peyton certainly does make her subjects look very, very beautiful.”
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Gardner added: “They’ve got their arms around each other, but you can feel that sort of slight tension within it.”
Peyton is known for her artful renditions of cultural icons including Kurt Cobain, Jarvis Cocker, Sid Vicious and David Bowie.
The Manchester-formed group started out in 1991, going on to become one of the defining rock bands of the Nineties. The band’s career was peppered by bickering and physical fights – Noel infamously went after his younger brother with a cricket bat after he brought a pub full of new pals back to the studio, while they were recording their second album. They split in 2009 after a fiery row in Paris and have not played together since.
It comes as Liam made a candid admission ahead of the band’s sold-out reunion tour, saying can’t help but think about “all those wasted years” the pair spent fighting.
After a years-long feud, the siblings managed to mend their fences enough to announce the first Oasis shows since the band’s split in 2009, which will begin at Cardiff Stadium on 4 July.
Liam, who is particularly active on X/Twitter, has been sharing regular updates with fans including his thoughts on the ongoing rehearsals.
On Wednesday evening (11 June), one fan asked the “Cigarettes & Alcohol” singer how it felt performing with his brother again.
“You know what it’s spiritual but I can’t help think about all those wasted years… what a waste of PRECIOUS time,” Liam responded.
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