A MELTHAM-born artist has become embroiled in a dispute after creating a painting which looks just like a published photograph.

Darren Baker, who owns the Massarella gallery in Saltaire, could end up paying thousands of pounds in a legal wrangle with photographer Fritz von der Schulenburg.

He is also facing a possible compensation claim from Von der Schulenburg, who says Mr Baker's Country Cottage painting has been copied from one of his photographs.

He took the photograph in 1986 at an Aberdeenshire farmhouse.

The photo features the entrance hall of the 16th century farmhouse, with baskets of dried flowers.

The painting - which sold in London recently for £3,000 - bears striking similarities, including the types of flowers and reflections on the varnish of the hall door.

However, Mr Baker, 29, insists he did not copy the photo.

He says his painting depicts the hallway of a house in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

Mr Baker, best known as the official portrait painter of the Professional Footballers' Association, said: "It's just an awful mess. I feel like I'm being accused of lying.

"I know it looks like I have copied the picture, but I did sketch it from life."

He said he could not contact the owners of the Skipton house, but thinks it is possible that their hall was used in an interior design book which may have inspired Von der Schulenburg's photograph.

Mr Baker said: "It's the only way I can explain it.

"Being an artist myself, the last thing I would want to do is infringe another artist's copyright. I know how bad it is."

The similarities between the painting and the photo were spotted by Suki Urquhart, who owned the Aberdeenshire house when the photo was taken.

She saw the painting in an advert in the Spectator magazine, placed by London-based Oakham Galleries.

Ms Urquhart recognised the scene because she helped set up the photograph with Fritz von der Schulenburg, for a feature with House and Garden magazine.

She sold the house soon afterwards and the new owners pulled out of the House and Garden feature.

However, in 1988, the photo was featured in a coffee table book by Michael Pick and von der Schulenburg, entitled The English Country Room.

Ms Urquhart said: "Fritz and I set up the photo shoot including the baskets and flowers and the chair, a very stylised affair.

"When I saw the Baker picture I was intrigued, as much as anything, and contacted the gallery, who told me Darren said it was of a house in the Yorkshire Dales.

"I thought what a bloody cheek!"

Von der Schulenburg's agent Karen Howes said painters often use photos to remind themselves of a scene.

But she said this particular image would not have existed if it was not specifically created by von der Schulenburg.