A rare Banksy painting with a sharp environmental message is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s in London. Crude Oil (Vettriano), a reworking of Jack Vettriano’s The Singing Butler, is expected to fetch up to $6.3 million at auction. (AP Video: Mustakim Hasnath)Published 5:31 PM BST, February 26, 2025
Jack Vettriano
That huge Life Drawing row…”nude models should wear clothes…”
Fast Forward to 2:35:30
Social media users were quick to mock the artwork, with one calling it “the stuff of nightmares” and another bluntly saying that “it looks nothing like him”.
Even experts weighed in, with art critic Estelle Lovatt telling Sky News: “If you think about it historically, a public statue was there to immortalise, show off and loudly boast of the achievements and accomplishments of the person.
“If it doesn’t really bear a resemblance to the person, it’s quite difficult to relate to it.
“I just thought the Roman emperors wouldn’t have put up with it, with this sort of standard. It’s imposing because of its size and its fantastical because of its size, but it lacks any aesthetic creativity.”
Club Alive CollaborationEstelle Lovatt will be sharing her passion for the arts via BBC Club Alive.
This will include:
- Interviews with those connected to the art world
- Art courses @ LBH using dry art materials
- Lectures
- Historical walks and talks
- Art Coaching
- Exhibition reviews
Art Critic Estelle Lovatt FRSA has the experience of being on both sides of the canvas, having trained as a painter, read Art History and as a gallery exhibition curator, Estelle is able to teach, judge and talk about works of art, from Cave Art to Banksy, with expert opinion.
She has worked as a freelance art critic for the BBC as well as for various independent Radio stations throughout the UK.
W: Estellelovatt.com
E: estellelovatt@gmail.com
https://www.bbcclub.com/clubs/alive/health-wellbeing/clubs-alive-love-art/
Estelle Lovatt 