Here's why Hughie feels this way:
* The portrait is exploitative: The painter, working for Vought, painted Starlight in a hyper-sexualized and objectifying way. Hughie, who is deeply in love with Starlight, finds this incredibly disrespectful and dehumanizing.
* The painter lacks empathy: Hughie sees the portrait as a blatant attempt to capitalize on Starlight's fame and beauty without any consideration for her feelings or agency. He sees it as a heartless act of exploitation.
* The artist is complicit: Hughie believes the artist is knowingly contributing to Vought's manipulation and objectification of Starlight. He feels the artist is choosing profit over ethics and empathy.
Hughie's anger towards the "heartless lot" is a reflection of his own deep love and respect for Starlight. He sees the painting as an attack on her dignity and a violation of their relationship.
It's important to remember that Hughie's opinion of painters in general isn't based on this incident. He's simply expressing his disgust towards this specific artist and their exploitative work.