Artists locked in High Court battle over Queen Elizabeth II portraits

A High Court conflict has erupted complete nan creator in installments for 2 portraits of nan precocious Queen Elizabeth II, with 1 artist’s ineligible squad asserting that his rival has "no existent estimation arsenic a reliable artist".

Robert Munday and his company, Spatial Imaging Limited, are pursuing ineligible action against Christopher Levine and his firm, Sphere9 Limited.

The declare centres connected an alleged breach of statement and "moral rights" concerning 2 useful depicting nan Queen, titled Equanimity and Lightness of Being. Court documents revenge past twelvemonth by barristers for Mr Munday and Spatial Imaging allege that Mr Levine violated an statement stipulating that Mr Munday would beryllium recognised arsenic having "co-created" nan pieces.

Mr Munday is seeking a High Court declaration that he is nan associated writer of some nan artworks and nan images captured during their photoshoots.

He besides requests an bid for Mr Levine to in installments him for nan works, alongside an "inquiry arsenic to damages".

However, Mr Levine and Sphere9 are contesting nan claim. In tribunal documents submitted connected Wednesday, their lawyers stated that Mr Munday possesses "no existent estimation arsenic a reliable artist", denying immoderate breach of statement and asserting he is not entitled to damages.

Mr Levine has besides initiated a counterclaim against Mr Munday for alleged copyright infringement, seeking a declaration of sole authorship for nan 2 useful and a judicial enquiry into damages.

No findings person yet been made regarding nan claims.

Barrister Nick Zweck, for Mr Munday, said successful tribunal documents that aft being approached by Mr Levine to activity together, 2 photoshoots were held pinch nan Queen astatine Buckingham Palace successful 2003 and 2004, which produced nan photos utilized successful nan 2 portraits.

Mr Zweck said that Mr Munday “contributed astir of nan aspects of intelligence creation progressive successful nan creation of Equanimity” and processed nan photograph utilized for Lightness of Being.

He continued that Mr Levine had since “persistently failed” to property nan useful to his client, successful breach of an statement made successful 2005 which stated that immoderate publicity astir nan useful would authorities “the sanction of nan creator and an acknowledgement that nan creator co-created nan portrait”.

In a defence to nan claims, barrister Thomas Elias, for Mr Levine and Sphere9, said Mr Levine was “the sole author” of nan portraits and that nan 2005 statement “notably does not spell truthful acold arsenic to opportunity that Mr Munday was an writer of Equanimity”.

Discussing nan photoshoot successful 2004, Mr Elias said Mr Levine was responsible for “all nan awesome elements of nan shoot” whereas Mr Munday “spent astir of nan sprout successful beforehand of a computer”.

He continued that it was denied that Mr Munday aliases Spatial Imaging “have suffered, aliases will suffer, nonaccomplishment and damage”.