Artist Sues Photographer Over Iconic Portrait of Queen Elizabeth

Photographer Chris Levine, who captured an iconic holographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, is being sued by artist Rob Munday who claims that he’s the co-creator of the works Equanimity and Lightness of Being.

The widely-known photographs have been created in 2004, and Munday alleges that Levine — who describes himself as an “artist who works with light and who uses photography in his projects” — has wrongly asserted sole creative credit score on the pictures.

The portraits have been commissioned by the Jersey Heritage Trust to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the island’s allegiance to the English crown. Produced throughout two sittings in 2003 and 2004, the pictures have since been displayed in main British artwork establishments and are held within the National Portrait Gallery. They are among the many most recognizable depictions of the late monarch.

Munday, who has labored in holography because the early Eighties, argues that his experience was important to the creation of the portraits and that he ought to be acknowledged as a joint writer.

“I’ve been going through this cycle for 20 years,” he tells the Guardian, the newspaper that broke the story. “I’m not young any more; it felt like this had to be fought now or never.”

Munday asserts that he and Levine reached a settlement with the Jersey Heritage Trust in 2005, acknowledging joint authorship, and that this settlement has since been breached. The lawsuit filed in England’s High Court claims that Levine and his firm, Sphere 9, violated Munday’s ethical rights by failing to credit score him correctly.

Levine disputes Munday’s claims, sustaining that he alone was commissioned because the artist. “Mr Munday does not hold any copyright in Equanimity or Lightness of Being,” Levine says in an announcement whereas characterizing Munday as “a technical subcontractor” who assisted in manufacturing “as part of my team, not as an artistic partner.”

“Any claim on my rights will be fiercely defended. This is my art,” he provides.

The disagreement follows a separate authorized case introduced in 2024 by the Jersey Heritage Trust in opposition to Levine, alleging breach of contract and the sale of unlicensed editions of the portraits. That case was settled out of court docket. In a joint assertion issued on the time, the belief and Levine stated: “The parties acknowledge that Chris Levine was the sole artist commissioned by the Jersey Heritage Trust to create the portrait,” whereas additionally recognizing the contributions of “holographer Robert Munday of UK Company Spatial Imaging” amongst different collaborators.

Munday says he determined to pursue authorized motion after Levine posted an announcement on Instagram following that settlement. “Truth prevailed,” Levine wrote. “I was the sole artist commissioned and am now legally recognized as the sole author of the work.” The put up has since been deleted.

Levine gained worldwide visibility with Lightness of Being, a picture of the Queen proven with closed eyes. The portrait has featured in distinguished exhibitions and seems on the duvet of Levine’s forthcoming monograph.

Munday is in search of formal recognition as co-author and a public acknowledgment that the portraits have been collectively created. The case stays ongoing.

Image credit: Header picture licensed through Depositphotos.