A whale of a time

This monumental picture painted by the Austrian artist Peter Krafft shows Miklós Zrínyi (Nikola Zrinski) as he and his soldiers are charging out of the Fortress of Szigetvár on horseback. The captain is depicted in a gold-coloured costume and a red cape, riding on a fine white horse with his sword unsheathed. The Ottoman soldiers are seen in the act of fighting. Take a closer look and observe the many depictions of horses in the picture. The artist’s true bravura is manifest in how he painted some of the horses from the back and in the moment of their fall.

This picture, set in an atmospheric environment, shows Viennese composer Franz Schubert sitting on a porch. His dog, Drago, is sitting at his knees. How close do you think the relationship between dog and owner is? The composer is depicted during breakfast time. Take a careful look and observe what is on the table.

In his poem titled The Plain, Sándor Petőfi, one of Hungary’s most well-known poets, describes a landscape similar to what you can see in this picture. The ominously towering dark clouds are the sign of a storm approaching. A stork, depicted in the act of descending, is most likely looking for shelter. There is a sweep-pole well in the painting too. Can you find it? A traditional element of the Hungarian Plain, it was a mechanism used to draw water for the animals.

Gauguin, who was a successful broker, initially only did painting as a hobby. Later on, he gave up his original profession and devoted his life to art. He painted this picture in Tahiti, which forms part of Polynesia, a group of islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. What can you see here that alludes to an exotic island? What animals can you spot besides the pigs?