NYC Gallery Sold an AI-Generated Ansel Adams Photo Without Permission

[Coventina]

The New York Danziger Gallery displayed for sale an AI-generated version of Ansel Adams’ photo “Moonrise Over Hernandez” without consulting the photographer’s trust, effectively stealing the legendary artist’s work and dramatically altering it with AI for the sake of profit.

The work, which can be seen above, is described as “A.I. Generated” from the prompt “Make a realistic color version of Ansel Adams’ iconic ‘Moonrise Over Hernandez’.” It is further described as “Proofed, regenerated, & photoshopped from 11/25 – 4/26. Printed by master printer Esteban Mauchi Editions of 10 in 3 sizes – 20 x 24” , 24 x 30”, 30 x 40.'”

The image was part of The Photography Show at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City, which ran from April 22 through April 26, 2026. Images sold at this show in the past typically cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Ansel Adam’s trust published a public statement on Instagram over the weekend, confirming that despite its best efforts at communication, the Danziger Gallery used Adams’ name and his photo for commercial purposes without its permission.

https://petapixel.com/2026/05/25/nyc-gallery-sold-an-ai-generated-ansel-adams-photo-without-permission/

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