From fruit bowls to fantasy, painters have been inspired by many things. But some themes seem timeless, one of which is the natural world. From cave paintings to Egyptian statues, animals have featured heavily in art, and some artists have taken animals as their speciality.
Can you name the following animal painters from the clues and visual prompts?
A French post-impressionist painter, this artist only committed to art full time later in life. Known as La Douanier, or 'The customs officer', due to his previous career as a tax collector, his Naïve or Primitive works, often featured brightly colored animals.
Self-taught and ridiculed by critics during his lifetime, the sheer artistic quality of his work shone through and would extend a huge influence on other avant-garde artists over the next 100 years. Famous works include Tiger in a Tropical Storm andThe Dream. Who is he?
1844 - 1910
This painter was born in Liverpool and spent his youth painting portraits and studying anatomy. He became known for his incredibly accurate paintings of horses, many of which have been found to be remarkably anatomically correct.
He was self-taught and learned his skills away from the other artists of the day, which may have been the reason for his exclusion from full membership of the Royal Academy. His famous works include Whistlejacket and the Milbanke and Melbourne Families. But what is his name?
1724 - 1806
A German printmaker and painter and one of the key figures of Expressionism, he was also a founding member of Der Blaue Reiter, a magazine focusing on the work of the movement. He made his name as a landscape painter but after seeing work by Van Gogh, Picasso, and Gauguin his painting became more experimental.
His work painting abstract forms of animals was renowned for its strong mystic quality, using simple bold lines and colors. He served in the German army during World War I and was killed at the Battle of Verdun at just 36 years old. Key works included Blue Horses and Fox but do you recognize his work?
1880 - 1916
This painter and printmaker was a key theorist of the German Renaissance. In his 20s he made his name creating superb quality woodcut prints which brought him international renown. He was also in contact with other key figures of the Renaissance such as Leonardo and Raphael.
His famous 1515 work Rhinoceros was based on a written description and brief sketch by an Indian artist, and he never saw the animal himself, which makes the accuracy even more remarkable. Can you name this Renaissance master?
1471 - 1528
One of the most iconic animal paintings of all time, the Monarch of the Glen was an 1851 work by this artist. It features a red deer stag and was commissioned as part of a series to hang in the Palace of Westminster.
The painting became something of a cliché after the rights to its image were bought and it was used in advertising campaigns. But it remains a magnificent piece and one of the most recognizable by any UK artist. But who painted it?
1802 - 1873
How well did you know your animal artists? If you'd like to know more about the history of animals in artworks, you can find out more here.
With so many ancient monuments found throughout the city, it can be easy to miss the Largo di Torre Argentina. This square contains the ruins of four Roman temples and the remains of Pompey's Theatre. The square is also home to a colony of friendly feral cats!
The pyramids of ancient Egypt aren't just a modern tourist attraction, the ancient Romans enjoyed visiting them too. So much so, that the city was once home to dozens of pyramid shaped monuments. Now, only one remains, the Pyramid of Cestius, outside the Porta San Paolo.
The Rome Rose Garden - occupying the Aventine Hill, opposite the ancient Circus Maximus - is a pleasant place to spend an afternoon. Over 1000 varieties of rose are grown here, showcasing the various floral possibilities for any budding gardeners.
This corner house on the Piazza Venezia was once the home of Maria Letizia Ramolino, mother of none other than the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Until her death in 1836, Ramolino would sit on the balcony and watch the carriages passing into the square.
When you're done with the Roman ruins, why not take a look inside The National Gallery of Modern & Contemporary Art. Here, you can see some of the eye-popping abstract art that was produced in Italy's post-war boom years.
The Museo Carlo Bilotti is like a gem - small, but stunning. This museum, built in an 18th-century orangery in the grounds of the VIlla Borghese, has a permanent collection of just 23 works, including many by Giorgio de Chirico, donated to the city by collector Carlo Bilotti.
There's all sorts of art and artefacts to be seen, but if Italy is known for anything, it's known for its fashion. The Via Condotti is an ancient street that once led to the Baths of Agrippa. Today it's best known for its luxury outlets and exquisite cafés. Un caffè, per favore!
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Inside Morocco's Historic Communal Granaries
Indigenous communities are drawing on 1,000-year-old traditions to create a sustainable future in North Africa.
ReadHigh in the arctic circle, Quttinirpaaq National Park on Ellesmere Island, Canada is one of the most remote parks on earth, it sees only around 50 visitors a year. The park takes its name from the Inuktitut language, Quttinirpaaq means 'top of the world'.
Ittoqqortoormiit was founded in 1925 by Ejnar Mikkelsen and 80 other Inuit settlers on Liverpool Land, east of Hurry Inlet, in northeastern Greenland. Today, about 450 people live here and it remains one of the most remote settlements on Earth.
Even further north is Longyearbyen on the island of Svalbard. In fact, this is the most northerly settlement on the planet. This mining town was totally destroyed during the Second World War and had to be rebuilt from scratch.
At the other end of the planet is the island of South Georgia. Lying in the South Atlantic Ocean, about 1300km from the Falkland Islands. There is no permanent population, and no regular transport, only a team of around 30 scientists and the occasional tourist party.
This Chilean village is one of only two civilian residential settlements on the continent - the others being temporary military or research stations. The village post office serves all Chilean bases on the continent, and its stamps are popular with collectors.
Finally, somewhere a little warmer. Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands on the planet, its nearest neighbours are are the small Juan Fernandez Islands, found 1,850km east. Despite this, Easter Island was once home to a flourishing civilisation.
This distant peak is famously the highest point on Earth above sea level. The world has changed a lot since it was first scaled in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, today it's less of an obstacle and more of an attraction.
At the other end of the scale, the lowest point on Earth below sea level is... a sea. The shoreline of the Dead Sea is about 400 metres below the level of the Mediterranean, and as the landlocked sea evaporates, it gets lower every year.
This humble metal stake, sign, and flag mark the most southerly point on Earth - from here, everywhere is north. Roald Amundsen's expedition team reached this point on 14 December, 1911, only a few weeks before the doomed expedition of Robert Falcon Scott.
Want more extreme views? Check out these 11 Incredible Views from the Top
Teetering on the edge of a cliff, and sheltered by a natural rock arch, Predjama Castle would be difficult to take in even the best circumstances. In the 15th Century the castle was besieged, after the cruel lord of the castle, Erasmus of Lueg, offended the Holy Roman Emperor.
During the long siege, Erasmus had a secret tunnel dug through the cave and out the other side. He used this to allow resupplies to reach the castle and his troops to pillage the local land. According to legend, the siege only ended when Erasmus was killed by his own men.
Often claimed to be the home of both Vlad the Impaler and Bram Stoker's Dracula, historians and literary critics aren't so sure, but everyone can agree that Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania does look very haunting and dramatic, and it certainly holds secrets…
The twisting maze of rooms hides a secret passage from the first floor to the third floor, which would have allowed frightened officials to make a hasty exit in an emergency. The passageway was hidden behind a fake fireplace and was only discovered in the 1920s.
The Tudor mansion of Coughton Court in Warwickshire, England, was built by the Throckmorton family in the mid 1500s. The Throckmortons were Catholics in a newly Protestant country. They faced persecution for practising their faith, but they refused to abandon it.
Instead, they had a 'priest hole' built into Coughton Court; a secret room for hiding altars, crosses, and visiting priests, if they were raided by the authorities. Many rich Catholic families around England did the same, and many lives were saved by these secret chambers.
In the seaside village of Rye, England stands The Olde Bell. This quaint, historic pub is the perfect place for a pint of ale, but in the 1730s you might not find yourself welcome; the pub was used by the Hawkhurst Gang, and like any good outfit, they had a getaway plan…
A secret tunnel led from The Olde Bell under a street and a couple of houses, to The Mermaid Inn. If the long arm of the law came knocking, the Hawkhurst Gang could move themselves and their smuggled brandy and tobacco out of reach.
The high walls of the Passetto di Borgo mean it's hardly secret, but it has saved the life of at least two popes. This crenelated raised walkway runs for 1km from the Papal apartments in the Vatican City, to the Castel Sant'Angelo - the formidable fortress in the centre of Rome.
The Passetto was built in 1277 by Pope Nicholas III, though thankfully he didn't have to use it. It was however used by Pope Alexander VI in 1494 and later by Pope Clement VII, after his bodyguard were massacred during the 1527 Sack of Rome.
At the other end is the Castel Sant'Angelo. Originally an ancient Roman Mausoleum, this enormous stone structure was turned into a fortified Papal palace and prison. Today, this imposing building is a museum.
Not to be outdone by mere Popes, the Medici family of Florence had their own secret passage built in 1565 to connect their home in the Palazzo Pitti with the seat of government in the Palazzo Vecchio.
The architect Giorgio Vasari designed the raised and covered walkway, which is now known as the Vasari Corridor. The passage actually punches through several buildings on its winding way across the city, over the Arno river, and into the centre of Florence.
After taking a sharp right on the north bank and a detour via the Uffizi (then the offices of the city magistrates), the corridor takes one final leap over the Via Della Ninna and into the Palazzo Vecchio. With this elaborate passageway, the paranoid Medici could move safely.
Privacy was not an option at the Palace of Versailles. During the reign of the Bourbon Kings, between 3000 and 10,000 courtiers and staff present on any day - there were few places to hide from prying eyes. For pleasure-obsessed monarchs, this was a bit of a problem.
Perhaps its no surprise that many private rooms contained hidden passages to allow special guests discreet access at all hours of the day. Here, in the Queen's Bedchamber, is a secret doorway with a particularly special story…
To the left of the Queen's bed is the faint outline of a door. It's through this passage that Marie Antoinette escaped barefoot when the palace was stormed by a crowd of poor market women on the 5 October 1789, in the early days of the French Revolution.