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This painting by the German-Austrian artist Torsten Slama is proof that Carl Grossberg influenced subsequent generations of artists. Here, Slama refers directly to Grossberg's 1928 work, 'Dampfkessel mit Fledermaus' (Steam Boiler with Bat). In Slama's painting, the bat that gives the work its title hovers, somewhat smaller, above the head of the seated male figure. The wide panoramic window is now on the left-hand side. There is no steam boiler to be seen here, as in Grossberg's painting, but instead a rectangular block with recessed pipe openings on which the man is sitting. Next to him stands a woman looking directly out of the picture. Both figures are dressed in tight leotards. The two people depicted have been identified as gallery owner Giti Nourbakhsch and collector Antonio Dalle Nogare.

Slama was born in Austria in 1967, but moved with his family to the Bergisches Land region near Cologne at an early age. He studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1986 to 1992 and was a master student of Fritz Schwegler. His paintings and drawings captivate viewers with their technically precise, almost Old Master style. He drew inspiration from popular culture, particularly comics, classic films, television programmes, science fiction and art history, including the New Objectivity movement. Slama died in 2023.