Let slip the dogs of art! First up is this faithful pack of hunting dogs in Pieter Bruegel the Elder's 1565 painting of hunters, trudging home through the deep snow to their small village.
The landscape might be beautiful, but these mutts steal the scene.
Jan Steen's unusual painting Beware of Luxury looks more like a theatre stage than scene from life. Around the room are all sorts of hidden jokes, puns, and details that would have the 17th-century viewers rolling with laughter…
Amidst all the chaos of the house, the little dog has taken the opportunity to steal a slice of the pie.
Hogarth's faithful pug, named Trump, stands next to his master's own portrait in this ironic painting. Hogarth himself was often caricatured as a pug!
Trump appears in many other works, but this would be one of the last. Trump died in 1745 at the ripe old age of 15.
Thomas Gainsborough's rather informal portrait of Queen Charlotte of England walking her gardens doesn't include any crown or throne or insignia…
…but it does include one of her beloved spaniels. Queen Charlotte was a well-known dog-lover who also kept many Pomeranians.
In the world of pet portraiture, one name stands out: Edwin Landseer RA. He painted all sorts of animals, particularly horses and stags, and he even designed the lions of Trafalgar Square. But he's best known for dogs, such as Hector, Nero, and Dash with the parrot, Lory.
But he's best known for dogs, such as Hector, Nero, and Dash with the parrot, Lory.
Franz Marc's tired dog Russi has decided to take a brief nap in the a snowy forest.
Marc spent a long time on this painting, before the "pure colour relationship between the yellow, the cold white of the snow, and the blue in it had been accomplished".
The wild energy of a little dachschund is palpable in Giacomo Balla's 1912 Futurist painting Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash.
Its little legs and happy tail blur as its little streamlined body skits down the pavement, swinging its leash.
More of a cat-person? Discover the coolest cats in art history.
Founded in 1910, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located in Mount Prospect Park in central Brooklyn, New York, just near the Brooklyn Museum. It's grown over the years to become a space for education as well as entertainment. Click and drag to explore the gardens highlights.
This Italian-style formal garden features an expansive, emerald-green lawn and classically-inspired stone columns and fountain. In spring, rest and watch the cherries, crabapples, and azaleas in bloom.
The Native Flora Garden seeks to recreate the natural lands that once flourished here: small forests, meadows, bogs, and pine barrens. This area is filled with wildlife including hummingbirds and small mammals.
The Cranford Rose Garden has been one of the most popular attractions since it first opened in 1928. In June, when the roses are in full bloom, blossoms cascade down arches and climb up lattices.
The Cherry Esplanade leads from the Rose Garden towards the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Visit at the end of April to witness the double-flowering Kanzan cherries in full blossom.
Follow the winding paths to slowly reveal the Japanese Garden, styled on ancient and modern designs. Take a seat and admire the calm pond with its draping willows and red-painted ceremonial torii.
The garden was designed by the Japanese-American landscape architect Takeo Shiota in 1914, and was the first public Japanese-inspired garden in the USA.
Laid in 1955, the Fragrance Garden was the first garden in the USA designed to accommodate people with visual impairments. Its low beds, braille labels, and enticing scents offer enjoyment to all.
Take a break in the Yellow Magnolia Cafe, found inside the Steinhardt Conservatory, a beau-arts style glasshouse. Enjoy the modern, vegetable-focused menu while looking over the Lily Pool Terrace.
The Desert Pavilion of the Steinhardt Conservatory shows just how vibrant deserts can be. Discover trees, cacti, succulents, and wildflowers from the deserts of Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
The Aquatic House displays plants from Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s large orchid collection as well as a variety of tropical aquatic plants from around the world, including these giant water lilies.
The Japanese art of Bonsai, or cultivating miniature trees, has entertained people for centuries. The C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum holds one of the largest collections of Bonsai trees outside of Japan.
Dedicated to providing a green space for city kids, the Discovery Garden lets children of all ages explore the plants and animals found in a meadows, marshes, woodlands, and vegetable gardens.
Follow the babbling Belle's Brook as it meanders through the Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden. Reeds. sedges, and rushes line the banks, providing a home for insects and helping to filter the water.
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Find these, and more, in the beds of the BBG Herb Garden. Filled with plants that, throughout history have been used in perfumes, recipes, and medicines.
The Rock Garden, opened in 1917, provides a safe haven for a number of alpine and desert plants that prefer dry, rough soils. Succulents are found hugging the ground, while conifers tower overhead.
Step outside into more botanical gardens from around the world, like Kew Gardens in London or the gardens of São Paolo, Brazil
Ever wished you could have a Michelangelo mural in your main hall? Or wanted to bring some Bauhaus brilliance to your curated kitchen? Scroll on to discover decorating tips from museums, churches, houses, and more from around the world.
Built between 1473 and 1481, The Sistine Chapel is located in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City. The walls of the chapel were decorated by a slew of famous Renaissance painters including Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli.
However, it’s for the ceiling, painted by Michelangelo at the start of the 16th century, that the building is best known. This incredible work is credited with changing the course of western art and is considered one of greatest artistic achievements of all time. Every day, around 25,000 people visit the chapel, making it one of the most viewed interiors in the world.
If you prefer mosaics to frescos, look no further than the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul for inspiration. The building’s spectacular interior is adorned with a number of intricate and elaborate mosaics, most of which were completed between the 10th and 12th centuries.
Most of the mosaics have iridescent gold backgrounds. This reflects light around the building and helps to create a wonderful atmosphere. When the Ottomans took Istanbul in 1453, they covered many of these mosaics in plaster. However, most have since been restored, allowing visitors to experience the full glory of this incredible interior.
Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, Sanssouci is an elaborate Rococo style building surrounded by landscaped gardens, temples and follies. Inside, its rooms are opulent and extravagant. The Marmorsaal, or Marble Hall, comes complete with white marble columns and a domed ceiling crowed with a cupola.
The dining room is decorated with paintings by French masters and almost all rooms enjoy sweeping views of the gardens. If you like rich, sumptuous interiors, Sanssouci Palace is a fantastic place to come for inspiration.
Our next interior is on a slightly different scale. Designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this beautiful home is located in a small wooded grove in Virginia, US. The house was designed to offer affordable, high quality housing for people of ‘moderate means’.
The huge windows and spacious rooms made the property a great space to live in and set the benchmark for modern architecture. A lot of the furniture in the property is built in. This creates even more space and gives the inside of the property a unique mid-century modern appearance.
Located in the heart of Porto, Portugal, Sao Bento Station has to be one of the most beautiful terminals in the world. Built in the early 20th century, the walls of the station are covered in tiled murals depicting important moments from the country’s history.
The station is within Porto’s UNESCO World Heritage area and is a fantastic place to visit if you love tiles - and Portuguese azulejos in particular.
Learn more about Porto here.