Anton Gvajc was a painter of a calm and idiosyncratic realism, unaffected by contemporary art trends. His contemporaries considered him an eccentric recluse and a pedantic professor with a strong conviction of being right. The artist described his style of painting by stating that he was a naturalist impressionist who paints as nature shows and his soul commands. His paintings are full of idyllic motifs, flowers and animals, especially birds. The painting of the lobster, however, tells a very different story. The lobster, whose natural home is the sea, has found itself caught on sun-baked stone steps, next to lemons and olives that portend the cruel fate awaiting him. The three distinct visual elements, which have a rich iconography of their own, are brought together into a whole in this still life painting. Western still life paintings that emphasised abundance and wealth have traditionally depicted lobsters – the centrepiece of this painting – as luxurious food that has already been cooked and is ready to be eaten. In this painting, by contrast, the lobster is still alive, asking us to reflect on our relationship with the world and the creatures that inhabit it.