Doménikos Theotokópoulos, more commonly known as El Greco, was one of a wave of artists and intellectuals who came westwards in the centuries after the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire. His evocative and personal style, which is theorised by some to be influenced by both Byzantine and Western tradition, was maligned after his death but is now considered ahead of his time. The Opening of the Fifth Seal is so named since it depicts the titular events of the Book of Revelation, though important parts of the narrative are omitted due to a botched restoration attempt.

As is typical of an authentic Persian rug, this carpet is intricately detailed with a bountiful assortment of colours and shapes. This particular work found its way into the hands of the Holy Roman Emperors: the work of the Safavid imperial looms, just like Iran's carpet industry today, was renowned for its exquisite quality.

This loincloth originates from the pre-Columbian Chancay culture of Peru. Not much is known about its purpose, but like other Chancay textiles, it bears brightly coloured geometric patterns.

When combined with the already vivid language of the Book of Revelation and similar Biblical stories, Bosch's already surreal method of depicting religious scenery approaches its highest form. Although this triptych is most famous for the titular Last Judgement, it also depicts other scenes (the name is a later invention). The left panel is devoted to the Garden of Eden, while the right depicts the terrors that are believed to await those who reject God.

The title, arguably a Bible quotation, betrays this painting's morbid nature. Thematically, it is said to represent the limits of British imperialism. Depicting the wreck of a fateful Arctic endeavour, it shows that even the mighty Victorian power's reach was not infinite. Legend has it in the 1920s, a pupil of Royal Holloway killed themselves after sitting an exam next to it. Although this tale is unlikely to be true, tradition mandates that the Union Jack is placed over the painting during examinations to avoid the artwork's ill effects.

Petrus van Schendel was known as "Monsieur Chandelle" for his unique habit of painting brightly-lit night-time scenes, such as this one. His studio had a unique setup to provide for this, and he later took his specialty further with the then-new concept of electric lighting. Like much of his work, A Night in the Market depicts the hallmarks of a mythic traditional life, in accord with the ideals of the Romantic movement.

Finland in the 1800s was a harsh place. Under the Yoke shows the titular practice of burning birchwood, done to obtain the plants' rich soil, which was then used for the cultivation of rye. The unglorified, overtly cruel - Järnefelt added ash to the female model's face to increase the painting's gravity - manner of depicting this traditional practice was part of realist trends common in period Finnish art.

Rubens gives a visceral, real, energy, to an act of mythic cannibalism. In Greek mythology, the god Cronos (interpreted by the Romans as Saturn) devoured his sons to avoid the threat his progeny posed to his divine power. Only due to his wife's machinations did one of his progeny - Zeus - survive and eventually overthrow him. Even though the classical Hellenic religion is dead (excluding minor modern variants), this story, like so many others, retains a lasting artistic legacy.

Hokusai is most renowned for The Great Wave off Kanagawa. But in my opinion, to only appreciate that print (which is difficult anyway, given its cliched nature) is silly. Many of his other works, including this one, display a much more impressive usage of colouration and composition. The series which includes this and the Great Wave, Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji, is worth a look in its entirety.

Although this painting and Man Proposes, God Disposes both depict frozen shipwrecks, their tone could not differ more. Friedrich takes a more positive tack, as is evidenced by his painting's alternate name, The Wreck of Hope. Death has undoubtledly occurred, but there are no vicious polar bears tearing corpses limb to limb. Instead, the whole scene is portrayed in an almost geometric fashion, where the ships' wooden planks are barely distinguishable from shards of ice. Atop the forceful tomb is an astral light, representing the titular hope.

At the edge of death and stuck in a morass of mental torpor, Goya's last years saw him produce his Black Paintings. As they were intended only for personal viewing, many of the themes they depicted challenged the political orthodoxy of the time, which was characterised by an ascent of conservative thought. Although there is no recognisable viewpoint being expressed in this particular work, Goya still depicts the classical Greek fates in an unusually grim and foreboding manner.