Abraham Van der Hoef

This 17th-century painter spent his days in the Dutch army, not the studio—he was a soldier who painted on the side. His cavalry scenes feel like snapshots from the battlefield: dust, lances, and the sharp flick of hooves. You’ll find him in the Rijksmuseum’s *Gallery of Honour*, where his *Battle of Cavalry* hangs right next to Rembrandt’s *The Night Watch*—look for the soldier in the foreground whose helmet gleams like a coin in the chaos.