Order in the Museum! Trivia Quiz

One of the very few paintings of its kind that have survived from late medieval England, the small, portable Wilton Diptych consists of two hinged wooden panels, painted both on the outside and the inside. The painting was created in the 1390s for Richard II of England by an unknown French or English artist. A outstanding example of the sophisticated International Gothic style - associated with the European courts of the late Middle Ages - the Wilton Diptych depicts the kneeling King Richard II being presented to the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child by three saints - St John the Baptist, St Edward the Confessor, and St Edmund the Martyr. The 11 angels surrounding the Virgin and Child bear badges with the White Hart, the king's livery, which also appears on the outer side of the diptych.

The Wilton Diptych is known for the stunningly beautiful shade of blue (made from finely ground lapis-lazuli) of the clothing worn by the Virgin and the angels, as well as the liberal use of embossed gold foil. It was bought by the National Gallery in 1929 from the Earl of Pembroke; the painting is named after the Earl's country seat, Wilton House.

Also known as "The Arnolfini Marriage" or "The Arnolfini Wedding", the Arnolfini Portrait is a full-length double portrait of a richly dressed couple - believed to be the wealthy Italian cloth merchant Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife. The sitters are portrayed in their house in the Flemish city of Bruges, where Jan van Eyck was active between 1429 and 1441, the year of his death. The painting is van Eyck's most famous work, and one of the highlights of the National Gallery's collection. It is also a very complex work, featuring elaborate symbolism and a very advanced conception of space that involves the clever use of a convex mirror, placed on the wall behind the couple. The Arnolfini Portrait has also been called the first genre painting, depicting two people in an interior, surrounded by everyday objects - foreshadowing the work of artists of the Dutch Golden Age such as Johannes Vermeer. The artist's signature and the date in which the painting was created are inscribed on the wall above the mirror.

In the mid-16th century, the Arnolfini Portrait was inherited by Philip II of Spain, and remained in the Spanish royal collection until it was probably stolen by British troops during the Napoleonic Wars - ending up in the possession of a Scottish soldier, Colonel James Hay. The painting was eventually bought by the National Gallery in 1942.

"Venus and Mars" is one of a number of paintings by famed Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli owned by the National Gallery. Painted around 1485 (possibly earlier) on a long, narrow poplar panel, it was probably commissioned to the artist for a wedding, and was meant to be set into the paneling or the furniture of the bridal pair's bedroom. The fully-clothed Venus (resembling her depiction in the "Primavera) looks upon the deeply asleep, nearly naked Mars with a slightly annoyed expression, while the god of war is snoring in a rather undignified manner - unaware of the three little satyrs that are playing with his weapons and armour, or the one who is trying to wake him up by blowing in a conch shell next to the god's ear. The painting, which features a number of intriguing details (such as the wasp nest next to Mars's head - possibly a pun on the name of the Vespucci family that may have commissioned the painting), has often been interpreted as an allegory of love conquering war.

Unlike other major Botticelli paintings, "Venus and Mars" did not end up in the Uffizi Gallery through the collection of the Grand Dukes of Florence. It did, however, remain in Florence until the 1860, when it was bought by English art collector Alexander Barker. Barker's collection was subsequently auctioned at Christie's in 1874, and on that occasion the National Gallery bought the painting and another 13 works by Botticelli.

One of the Renaissance's most beautiful portraits, Titian's "Man With a Quilted Sleeve" is one of the great Venetian artist's earliest paintings, created when he was probably in his early twenties. In the past, the painting was believed to be a portrait of poet Ludovico Ariosto, the author of the romance epic "Orlando furioso", or even a self-portrait of the artist himself. In more recent times, the sitter has been identified with Gerolamo Barbarigo, a Venetian nobleman who was a close friend of Titian's. What makes this portrait so striking is the sitter's dynamic pose: resting his arm on a low parapet, the man turns towards the viewers and meets their gaze, as if sharing some knowledge with them. His clothing is rich but not ostentatious; the quilting on his voluminous satin sleeve is rendered in exquisite detail. The portrait was described by artist and author Giorgio Vasari in his "Lives of the Artists" (1568); it also influenced two of Rembrandt's many self-portraits, which borrow the sitter's pose.

"A Man With a Quilted Sleeve" was sold to the National Gallery in 1904 by Sir George Donaldson for a hefty sum of money (£30,000), which required contributions from public and private donors. The National Gallery owns at least ten paintings by Titian.

The "Adoration of the Kings" is one of three surviving paintings created by Netherlandish Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder on the topic of the adoration of the Magi. The painting marks a departure from the artist's usual style: it is one of the few works he created in the portrait rather than landscape format, and is also composed of large figures - which allowed Bruegel to concentrate on each character's expressions. However, although the composition was influenced by Italian Mannerism (especially in the crowded grouping of the figures and vaguely tense atmosphere), Bruegel's distinctive approach is evident in the grotesque depictions of some of the characters. The three Kings, who represent the three ages of man and the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, are also portrayed realistically - all three of them looking rather the worse for wear (in spite of their rich clothing and priceless gifts) after their long journey.

Probably meant as an altarpiece, the "Adoration of the Kings" is signed and dated by the artist (who died a few years later, in 1569) on the lower right. In 1594 it became part of the Habsburg Imperial Collection, and was eventually bought by the National Gallery in 1920.

"Supper of Emmaus" is one of three paintings by iconic Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio owned by the National Gallery. The subject of the painting - created by the artist in Rome when he was at the height of his fame - is an episode from the Gospel of Luke (24:30-31), in which the resurrected Jesus reveals himself to two of his disciples. The scene takes place in a bare room, around a table laid out as in an extremely detailed still life. Three of the four characters are seated, while the only one standing - a groom - looks upon the scene without truly realizing what is going on. The two modestly-dressed disciples are captured in various degrees of astonishment, staring in disbelief at the central figure of Christ - who is rather unusually depicted without a beard to emphasize his youthful appearance and his "otherness". Caravaggio's masterful (and hugely influential) handling of chiaroscuro is used here to great effect, with a strong light falling on Christ's outstretched hand and projecting his shadow on the wall.

Caravaggio painted a second, more low-key version of the same episode in 1606, when he had had to flee Rome after killing a man in a duel. The painting was presented to the National Gallery by its owner, Baron George Vernon, in 1839.

During his lifetime, Rembrandt van Rijn produced about a hundred self-portraits, 40 of which were paintings. "Self-Portrait at the Age of 63" is one of three self-portraits created by the great Dutch artist before his death on 4 October 1669. Despite the unflinching depiction of the signs of aging on his face, Rembrandt conveys a strong, self-assured attitude, looking calmly at the viewer. His hands and bust almost blend with the dark, indistinct background, while his face - with its blemished skin and sagging eyelids - emerges from the shadows as if illuminated by a spotlight. X-ray analyses of the painting have shown that in the original composition the artist was portrayed while at work, holding a paintbrush. Rembrandt's signature and the date were revealed when the painting was cleaned in 1967.

"Self-Portrait at the Age of 63" was bought by Irish-British politician Thomas Brodrick in 1722, and remained in his family's possession until it was auctioned in 1851, and bought by the National Gallery. The London museum owns over 20 works by Rembrandt - including another famous self-portrait painted when he was 34.

Many 18th-century artists are known for their masterful portraits of rulers or wealthy patrons. George Stubbs' masterpiece, however, is a different kind of portrait, as its sitter is a magnificent Arabian chestnut stallion. The titular Whistlejacket was a famous racehorse owned by the wealthy Marquess of Rockingham. When, in 1762, he was retired from racing, the Marquess commissioned George Stubbs - renowned for his extraordinary knowledge of equine anatomy - to create a life-size portrait of his prize horse. Stubbs was more than happy to oblige: what is widely considered to be his masterpiece shows the rearing horse (a pose probably influenced by Stubbs' interest in sculpture) on a pale gold background, without any other elements to distract the viewer's gaze from the animal's superb shape. This monumental portrayal of a horse in his natural state has been described as a forerunner of Romantic aesthetics, emphasizing solitude, freedom, and unbridled energy.

"Whistlejacket" remained in the possession of the Fitzwilliam family, the Marquess of Rockingham's heirs, until 1997. The painting was acquired by the National Gallery for the huge sum of £11 million, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

John Constable's famous "The Hay Wain" (originally titled "Landscape: Noon") shows an idyllic view of the countryside around the River Stour (located between the counties of Suffolk and Essex), near Flatford Mill, which was owned by Constable's father. The titular wain (a wooden wagon pulled by three horses) is depicted while slowly making its way through the shallow water of the river towards a meadow where the tiny figures of haymakers at work appear in the distance. The painting, composed by Constable in his London studio from various open-air sketches, was influenced by 17th-century Flemish and Dutch landscape painting, which Constable admired for its realistic depiction of nature. The house that appears on the painting's left side, Willy Lott's Cottage, is still standing today.

One of a series of Constable paintings known as "six-footers" because of their large size, "The Hay Wain" was initially more successful in France than in England. Bought in the 1860 by art collector Henry Vaughan, it was presented to the National Gallery in 1886. Vaughan also bequeathed a full-scale oil sketch of the painting to the Victoria and Albert Museum (then known as South Kensington Museum).

Voted Britain's most popular painting in a 2005 poll organized by BBC Radio, "The Fighting Temeraire" is also J.M.W. Turner's best-known work. As its complete title suggests, the painting is as poignant as it is beautiful, depicting the last voyage of the renowned ship that played a major role in the pivotal Battle of Trafalgar (1805). The stately, ghostly white "Temeraire" is towed up the River Thames by a squat, black tugboat belching smoke, which is taking her to be broken up for scrap. On the painting's right side, the sun is setting in a glory of red and gold - symbolizing the ending not only of the ship's glorious career, but also of the age of sail, superseded by the steam that powers the tugboat. Though Turner took quite a bit of artistic license in the portrayal of the ship's last voyage, his intent was not to produce a realistic work, but rather one imbued with symbolic meanings. Exhibited for the first time at the Royal Academy in 1839, "The Fighting Temeraire" was a success, and its status as one of the greatest British paintings has further increased over the years.

"The Fighting Temeraire" is one of the very few paintings by Turner owned by the National Gallery. The majority of the artist's sizable output, bequeathed to the British nation, is held by Tate Britain, where they were transferred from the National Gallery in 1910.

Between 1887 and 1888, Vincent van Gogh painted two series of still lifes titled "Sunflowers". The first series (showing the flowers lying on the ground) was created in Paris, while the second (showing a bouquet of flowers placed in a vase) was created in Arles. The second series was meant as decoration for the guestroom of his residence, the Yellow House, where his friend and fellow painter Paul Gauguin (who loved sunflowers) was going to stay. The National Gallery's iconic "Sunflowers" is the fourth in the Arles series. In his depiction of a bouquet of 15 sunflowers in different stages of their life, van Gogh experimented with the yellow spectrum, fully exploiting the availability of new pigments. He also made the most of these thicker oil paints in terms of texture, creating dimensional effects on the canvas. These works, among van Gogh's most enduringly popular, were influenced by the 17th-century Dutch tradition of still life painting.

"Sunflowers", which is signed by the artist with his first name only, was sold in 1924 to the Tate Gallery, and has been on permanent loan to the National Gallery since then. In 1889, Van Gogh painted two replicas of the painting, which are held by Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum and Tokyo's Sompo Japan Museum of Art.

In 1893, Impressionist painter Claude Monet bought a plot of land with a water meadow adjacent to his garden in Giverny, in the French region of Normandy. There he planted exotic waterlilies in a variety of colours, and had a Japanese-style humpback bridge built at one end of the pond. For the last 30 years of his life, those flowers became the main focus of the artist's work. The series known as "Water Lilies" comprises about 250 oil paintings of different sizes, some of them very large, which are on display in many of the world's major museums. In "The Water-Lily Pond", the Japanese bridge - inspired by the Japanese prints that Monet loved to collect - is given pride of place, almost floating above the pond teeming with flowers and grasses. Monet used a rich palette of greens and other cool shades to recreate the ethereal beauty of the scene on canvas.

The painting was acquired by the National Gallery in 1927, a few months after the artist's death. The museum owns 16 paintings by Monet, including two others from the "Water Lilies" series.