Mars, the god of war, marches from the Temple of Janus encouraged by the Fury of War, Alecto, while Venus attempts to restrain him. A woman on the left personifies unhappy Europe; on the right, Alecto is accompanied by two monsters who symbolise the Plague & Famine; beneath are personifications of Harmony, Fecundity, Maternity & Charity, all who thrive under peace. This is a reduced copy of a painting by Rubens (Florence, Palazzo Pitti), which is thought to date from about 1637-8. It may have been executed while the Pitti painting was still in Rubens's studio. ...

Create your own bespoke print of Rosa Bonheur’s The Horse Fair from our collection. About this painting The Horse Fair, 1855 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in [1859 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

Create your own bespoke print of The Horses of Achilles from our collection. About this painting The Horses of Achilles, 1635-45 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1838 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

One version of a design repeated several times & engraved in 1743. Probably painted in about 1740-1, it was exhibited by Chardin at the Salon of 1741 as ' Le Fils de M. Le Noir s'amusant à faire un Château de Cartes' (The Son of M. Le Noir amusing himself in making a house of cards). ...

This is a view of the south or garden front of the Huis ten Bosch (the House in the Wood), built just outside of The Hague in 1645-52 as a summer palace for Amalia van Solms, wife of the Stadholder, Prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange. Shown here in its original state, it has since then been substantially altered: the dome has been changed, wings have been added & the statues & lattice obelisks are no longer in the garden. The house is most famous for the central hall (Oranjezaal) with its wall paintings by noted Dutch & Flemish artists of the time, such as Jacob Jordaens & Caesar van Everdingen. ...

This may be the earliest dated picture of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. This doctrine, which claimed the Virgin was conceived miraculously without taint of original sin, was controversial but enjoyed increasing popularity in the 15th century, becoming dogma in 1854. Although rejected by the Dominicans, the Franciscans supported it. A standard format & symbolism developed for such pictures. The symbols derive from the Bible, including the Book of Revelation & The Song of Songs. Here, the Virgin's purity is symbolised by a lily in a pure crystal glass. The painting, signed & dated 1492, comes from the Franciscan church of San Francesco, Pergola, central Italy. ...

Formerly thought to be by an imitator, recent cleaning has revealed the possible participation of Murillo himself. The figure of the Virgin repeats with slight variations of that in Murillo's picture in the church of Santa Catalina (Capuchin monastery), Ca ...

Create your own bespoke print of Diego Velázquez’s The Immaculate Conception from our collection. About this painting The Immaculate Conception, 1618-19 © The National Gallery, London This painting joined our collection in 1974 With our custom print service, you can order your own fully customised reproduction from the National Gallery Collection & exhibitions. Choose your own size, print material & frames & have your masterpiece delivered straight to your door. ...

According to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. The cherubs here carry emblems associated with the Virgin, including the olive, palm, rose, iris, a mirror & lilies. The throne at the top of the background staircase probably represents the throne of Solomon, the Old Testament King of Israel. Much of the imagery associated with the Immaculate Conception was derived from the Old Testament Song of Songs, once attributed to Solomon. The identity of the donors is unknown. The man may be a canon or city official; the woman appears to be in mourning dress. ...

According to the New Testament Gospel of Saint John after his Resurrection Christ appeared to the disciples & showed them his wounds. Thomas was absent & when they told him that they had seen the Lord he would not believe them & said: ' Except I shal ...