Play your cards right

A child gazes intently into a deck of fortune-telling cards. Hamed Nada's works depict ordinary Egyptian lives, but often include mystical Sufi symbols. Is the child seeking a better fortune?

Feline fortunes

The wise-looking cat seems to know something. Is the cat a fortune-teller, too? Where is it looking?

Strange symbols

The cat's eyes lead us to this hand in the top left of the image. Nada used symbols from the Sufi culture of Islamic mysticism to add depth to his work. This hand is a symbol of good fortune.

Foaling around

The Junier's horse is painted in Rousseau's characteristic Naive style, its spindly legs out of proportion with its body.

Who are these characters?

These are Henri Rousseau's neighbours, the Junier family, who ran a grocery near where the artist lived in Paris. Rousseau is sat to the right, wearing a straw hat!

A very good boy

Rousseau often populated his scenes with exotic animals, rather than family pets, so the inclusion of the Junier's dogs makes this painting a rare, touching portrait of his real-life friends.

All askew

Henri Rousseau, who'd never had any formal training, was a Naive artist. This can be seen in his flat, seemingly childish style and, here, in his disregard for 'correct' proportions.

Leafy green

Best known for his lush jungle scenes, Rousseau paid special attention to foliage, sometimes using more than 50 shades of green!