News : Fans react to apparently “very beautiful” portrait of Oasis expected to fetch £2million at Sotheby’s: “Looks more like Jedward”

A “very beautiful” portrait of Liam and Noel Gallagher is set to fetch £2million at auction, but some fans are less than impressed by it.

The painting of the brothers was done by artist Elizabeth Peyton in 1996, at the height of their career with Oasis, and is based on the photograph of them taken the previous year by Stefan De Batselier.

It belongs to a pivotal series in the artist’s repertoire, and was made following the aftermath of the band’s huge shows at Knebworth – which saw 2.5million fans clamour to get tickets and a quarter-of-a-million tickets sold in one day.

In both the photograph and the painting, Liam’s chin is seen resting on Noel’s shoulder, and both wear blue and look into the camera with a sullen expression.

“It feels so prescient, knowing now how it all ended up,” said Antonia Gardner, a specialist at Sotheby’s (via The Guardian). “It is a press image … They’ve got their arms around each other, but you can feel that sort of slight tension within it.”

“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.”

Now, nearly three decades since it was painted, the portrait is set to go to auction in London later this month as part of a contemporary art sale by Sotheby’s. It is listed on the auction house’s website as predicted to sell for between £1.5million and £2million.

Some Oasis fans are less than impressed with the portrait though, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts on the artwork and question the likeness captured.

On X/Twitter, a number of users said that the brothers looked more like former X Factor contestants Jedward, while some suggested that Liam Gallagher’s portrayal made him look more like Paul Weller.

“More like Jedward with Oasis hairstyles,” one wrote, while someone else suggested: “One of them looks like ‘Wild Wood’ era Paul Weller. not sure who the other one looks like.” A third quipped that Liam looked more like Weller, while Noel bore a resemblance to Only Fools And Horses character Rodney Trotter, played by Nicholas Lyndhurst.

“I wouldn’t know who that was if you didn’t tell me,” someone else wrote in the comment section, while another added: “I appreciate that art as a very concept is about as subjective as it gets. But this really is shit.”

Check out more responses from fans below.

In an analysis of the painting shared by Jon Savage in 1996, the writer described the painting as capturing the more “tender” side of the brothers amid the height of their fame.

“It’s all right for disco divas to take off the slap when they get home, but rock stars have to be who they are, offstage and on. This absurd state of affairs crucifies lives and stunts individual and collective growth. Peyton is careful to emphasize male tenderness,” he wrote in Boys Keep Swinging.

Peyton has done numerous portraits of famous figures in the rock world, including previous pieces depicting the likes of Kurt Cobain, Keith Richards and John Lennon. One of her other paintings of Liam and Noel is permanently on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, while the Guardian highlights that another, just showing Liam, sold for $4.1million (£3.02million)  in November last year.

The painting isn’t the only Oasis-inspired thing going on sale recently. Last week it was shared that Noel Gallagher’s 1997 Bentley Turbo R, is now for sale on Autotrader for over £1million – despite the musician never learning how to drive.

Oasis are set to play their first shows together in 16 years next month, kicking off with a run of UK and Ireland dates with support coming from Richard Ashcroft and Cast.

Earlier this year, sources close to the shows revealed details exclusively to NME about who will join Liam and Noel for the shows. Guitarists Gem Archer and Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs were said to be on board, as well as drummer Joe Waronker – believed to be one of the “new faces” that Liam teased.

Bassist Andy Bell also confirmed he would be returning to the line-up, and was recently seen entering a London studio with his bandmates.