Guinea pig alert! Have you ever noticed guinea pigs in European paintings? The Flemish artist Jans Brueghel the Elder was fascinated by these little creatures, which were introduced to Europe from South America in the late 1500s. Brueghel, a keen observer of nature, studied animals from around the world in the royal menagerie in Brussels. A particular pair of guinea pigs with distinctive markings appears in several of his compositions, including this painting of Venus disarming Mars. They symbolize the fertility that accompanies peace. Brueghel painted the intricate still life details and architectural framing of this scene, while his colleague and collaborator Peter Paul Rubens painted the luminous standing figures. Swipe to see the same pair of guinea pigs, shown at a different angle and nibbling on beans. Their silky coats are carefully rendered with fine brushstrokes. They appear at the foreground of this painting, surrounded by pairs of animals about to enter Noah’s Ark. Bru...