'Grumpy middle-aged man' Noel Gallagher to be added to National Portrait Gallery

September 09, 2024

Noel Gallagher has said he is "thrilled and honoured" to have his portrait added to the National Portrait Gallery - despite being a "grumpy middle-aged man, who hates having his picture taken".

The portrait of the Oasis songwriter - taken by Zoe Law - will go on display for the first time on 29 November, as part of the gallery's Legends exhibition.

His portrait will then be added to the gallery's permanent collection when the exhibit ends on 2 March next year.

In the wake of his and Liam's reunion 15 years after the band broke up, Noel said he was "thrilled and honoured" to be a part of the roster of portraits.

He then said: "The thought of the portrait of a grumpy middle-aged man, who frankly hates having his picture taken, being permanently displayed for future generations to marvel at is very special. Thanks and praise."

His black and white headshot will be displayed alongside England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton, actor Orlando Bloom, and a never-before-seen picture of Canadian actress Kim Cattrall.

Ms Law, a London-based photographer, added: "It is the greatest honour that my portrait of the legend Noel Gallagher has been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery - a lasting legacy that all portrait photographers and artists dream of."

Sabina Jaskot-Gill, senior curator of photographs at the gallery, said she was "absolutely delighted" to have the portrait, and that she hopes "these striking monochromatic portraits - which celebrate the diversity of British cultural life - help inspire the next generation of photographers and visitors to the National Portrait Gallery".

A 1995 photo of the band - with Liam, Noel, Alan White and Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs - is also included in the gallery's collection.

It comes as Liam Gallagher said he was "seriously gutted" that fans have been stung by the cost of tickets and could miss out on Oasis' reunion shows.

Ticketmaster has been widely criticised for using dynamic pricing - a system used during high demand and limited supply - which caused the cost of a standard ticket to more than double from £148 to £355.

On Wednesday, Oasis announced they would play two more dates at Wembley Stadium on 27 and 28 September - with a new lottery system in place to help "eligible fans" who were signed into a Ticketmaster account on Saturday 31 August get tickets.

During a series of messages on X, Liam addressed the chaos and said: "I'm seriously gutted for people that can't get tickets, I can't even go there it hurts my heart and I know people will think I'm taking the piss, but I'm not."

On Friday he had however joked about the price of tickets.