![\"Adobe](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/NYC-Gallery-Sold-an-AI-Generated-Ansel-Adams-Photo-Without-Permission-800x420.jpg\")
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The New York Danziger Gallery displayed for sale an AI-generated version of Ansel Adams\u2019 photo \u201cMoonrise Over Hernandez\u201d without consulting the photographer\u2019s trust, effectively stealing the legendary artist\u2019s work and dramatically altering it with AI for the sake of profit. <\/p>\n
The work, which can be seen above, is described as \u201cA.I. Generated\u201d from the prompt \u201cMake a realistic color version of Ansel Adams\u2019 iconic \u2018Moonrise Over Hernandez\u2019.\u201d It is further described as \u201cProofed, regenerated, & photoshopped from 11\/25 \u2013 4\/26. Printed by master printer Esteban Mauchi Editions of 10 in 3 sizes \u2013 20 x 24\u201d , 24 x 30\u201d, 30 x 40.’\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Ansel Adam\u2019s trust published a public statement on Instagram<\/a> over the weekend, confirming that despite its best efforts at communication, the Danziger Gallery used Adams\u2019 name and his photo for commercial purposes without its permission.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Trust was not consulted or notified before the work appeared. Once alerted, we reached out to James Danziger in real time, notifying him of the Trust\u2019s rights and asking for the work to be removed,\u201d the Ansel Adams Trust says. At the time of publication, the Gallery has not made a formal statement on the matter.<\/p>\n \u2018A gross failure of ethical and professional judgment.\u2019 \u201cCorrespondence shared with the Trust shows that, despite our formal notice, Mr. Danziger subsequently leveraged Ansel\u2019s name, \u2018Moonrise,\u2019 and the AIPAD presentation while pursuing a proposed commercial AI colorization venture involving other artists\u2019 estates.\u201d<\/p>\n Curiously, as ArtNews points out<\/a>, the Trust doesn\u2019t seem to have a particular issue with the use of AI, but the process (or lack thereof) that the Danziger Gallery went about commercializing the photo. <\/p>\n \u201cAnsel was an innovator who expanded the expressive and technical possibilities of his medium. He was remarkably prescient about\u2014and excited by\u2014the potential of computers to transform photography. The Trust\u2019s concerns are not about AI or creative experimentation in the abstract,\u201d the Trust explains. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is fundamentally about artists\u2019 rights and moral rights\u2014and respect for human dignity. No one should trade on another person\u2019s name, reputation, and labor for private commercial ends without consent and candor. The unauthorized exploitation of Ansel\u2019s actively stewarded legacy reflects a gross failure of ethical and professional judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n The offending photo is still listed on the Danziger Gallery website<\/a> despite the Trust\u2019s calls for its removal. <\/p>\n \u201cFew figures fought harder than Ansel to secure photography\u2019s place as fine art, or contributed more to the cultural conditions that gave rise to today\u2019s photography market. That this episode occurred at AIPAD is especially egregious and disheartening,\u201d the Trust concludes. <\/p>\n The Danziger Gallery did not immediately respond to PetaPixel\u2018s request for comment.<\/p>\n Image credits:<\/strong> Header image via the Danziger Gallery. As it is AI-generated, it is ineligible for copyright protection<\/a>. <\/p>\n
\u2013 The Ansel Adams Trust <\/p>\n