Survivor | Italian Animal Oil Painting | Guardia Piedemont | Liliya Muglia

Survivor is an oil on panel measuring 8 × 6 inches (20 × 15 cm), created as part of the Italia Series rooted in Calabria’s historic town of Guardia Piedemont. The painting depicts a solitary cat emerging from a narrow stone opening—poised between concealment and exposure—its gaze steady, alert, and unyielding.

Set against the textures of aged masonry and timber, the animal becomes a quiet witness to history. In a town shaped by the 1561 massacre and rebuilt through generations of resilience, the cat stands as a living emblem of survival: small in scale, yet enduring. Its presence evokes shelter sought, danger endured, and life persisting within the remnants of the past.

The work reflects the same spirit carried by the families of Guardia Piedemont—adaptable, observant, and steadfast—whose descendants continue to inhabit the town today. Rather than dramatizing survival, the composition honors it through stillness, restraint, and quiet resolve.

The original artwork remains in the artist’s private collection and is available for acquisition. Fine art print options are also offered for collectors seeking a carefully produced reproduction that preserves the depth, color, and symbolic detail of the original work.