The painting became a cliché by the mid 20th century – "the ultimate biscuit tin image of Scotland", in the words of one journalist. The image was used to advertise products from Glenfiddich whiskey to McVitie's shortbread.

The painting depicts a twelve-point red deer stag, named so because of the twelve tines, or points, on his antlers. One of the most popular paintings of the 19th century, it's a romantic evocation of the Scottish Highlands, with the majestic stag a symbol of their wildness and grandeur.

The painter, Edwin Landseer, was renowned for his depictions of animals. Aside from the "Monarch", he's best known for the lion sculptures at the base of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.

Mixed media

Polke layers different materials to create this collaged work, including wood, cloth, and paint.

Take a read

Here's another element of the work that draws the eye. This is a framed collage containing a newspaper cutting and a book cover, with the author’s name intentionally hidden.

Printing press

Sigmar Polke takes images from the mass media and prints them onto various elaborate combinations of cloth.

Coffee crate

Over a dull domestic interior, the word Kathreiner, taken from a wooden crate, refers to a well-known brand of malt coffee that was drunk in Germany during the years of the economic miracle.

Upside down

To emphasize his postmodern ideas, Polke savagely criticizes the artistic tradition by inverting his own name.

Polke or Matisse?

Signing as 'Henri Matisse' in the bottom left corner, Polke ironizes in this way on the need for an artwork to be signed in order to guarantee its authenticity and therefore its value.