Comedian Shares Joke Portrait of Harry Styles and Says Singer Reached Out to Buy It 'Immediately'

Comedian Joe Lycett did a spoof painting based on David Hockney's portrait of Styles for Hockney's exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery

Harry Styles has never looked better. The singer is the subject of a new portrait by comedian Joe Lycett, who says Styles loved the humorous likeness so much he wants to buy it.

In May 2022, Styles had his portrait painted by famed artist David Hockney (whose work sold for $90 million in 2018, becoming the most expensive work by a living artist ever sold at auction at the time, according to Christie's) at the 86-year-old English painter's studio in Normandy, France.

After Hockney's portrait of Styles was revealed, Lycett drew a hilarious replica of the work — which features Styles, 29, sitting down on a chair in blue jeans, a red-and-yellow striped cardigan and a strand of pearls. Lycett posted a photo of his painting on social media last weekend, jokingly telling his followers that Styles' management had shunned his art.

Related: David Hockney Painting Breaks Record, Selling for $90.3 Million at Auction

"A few months ago I was contacted by management for Harry Styles asking whether I would consider doing his portrait," Lycett began his initial satirical Instagram post. "I didn’t really know of his celebrity at the time so I said yes but I wish I hadn’t cause the whole thing has been a disaster."

Continuing, the English TV presenter said: "He came to my holiday home in padstow and sat for two days but I only spent about 20 minutes on the picture in the end cause I had an issue with my russell hobbs fridge/freezer and so I had to defrost it and I realised there was some diced goat going off so I made massaman curry."

Lycett said he thought he'd "done a good job of the pic but his management were quite cross and one of them said ‘it’s Harry Styles not Jeremy Beadle's face on a f---ing egg’ and Harry just awkwardly kept saying it was an honour to meet me whilst not eating his curry."

Related: Harry Styles Drinks from a Shoe — a 'Shoey' — at Australia Concert: 'I Feel Like a Different Person'

In the made-up scenario, Styles' camp ultimately "didn't take the painting." So Lycett wrote that he "contacted the National Portrait Gallery on the phone and they said they don’t take unsolicited submissions and it was hard to make a judgement on a call," referencing the original artist's exhibition, David Hockney: Drawing from Life, at London's National Portrait Gallery.

Later, Lycett posted a conversation between himself and what appears to be the "Watermelon Sugar" singer's verified Instagram account.

"I think it's incredibly important that I purchase this portrait from you," the message allegedly from the Grammy winner says. "If you'd ever consider parting with this masterpiece, I'd like to hang it in my home immediately. Hope you've been well. H."

Lycett responds by saying he'd part with the painting for eight British pounds, roughly a little over $10.00. "There's no curry left sadly," he adds.

In Lycett's screenshots, Styles' account appears to respond with an offer of six British pounds, which is nearly $8.00. The comic agrees that that is a fair price — and even offers to throw in a "Kit Kat chunky peanut butter."

"Long story short I just organized a £6 BACS transfer with Harry Styles," Lycett summed up for his followers.

Lycett did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment or confirmation if the messages were real.

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David Hockney: Drawing from Life will run at the National Portrait Gallery in London from Nov. 2, 2023 to Jan. 21, 2024.

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