Waitt’s still life is remarkable for its boldness and clarity. The produce arranged on a wooden table-top or counter stands out against the dark background. Its realistic appearance is enhanced by the play of light and shadow and the projection of some vegetables and meat over the table edge. The fly on the leg of lamb adds to the illusion of reality. It is tempting to try and brush this away, falling for the artist’s visual joke. Waitt, inspired by seventeenth-century Dutch still lifes, painted this work for a wealthy patron, who could have afforded such produce, including the more expensive wheaten, rather than rye, bread.