Hans Holbein, The Ambassadors

Hans Holbein

The Ambassadors

❦Introduction

The Ambassadors is one of the most complex and arguably portrait which Holbein had painted. The purpose of this report is to analyze Han Holbein?fs painting, ?gThe Ambassadors?h. The main task of this report is to uncover the meaning of this painting, as it still remains unclear. Firstly, I will give a short introduction about the painter. Then, I will examine the characteristics of the people and the objects in the painting. Lastly, I will attempt to identify the meaning of the painting.

❦About Han Holbein

Hans Holbein the younger was a German artist born in Augsburg, Bavaria. He was an outstanding portrait and religious painter and his works ranges from woodcuts, glass paintings, illustrating books, portraits and altarpieces. Hans Holbein was also the appointed court painter to Henry VIII of England in 1536. It is estimated that during the last 10 years of his life, Holbein painted approximately 150 portraits of royalty and nobility and he also designed costumes, silverware and jewelry for the court.

Holbein?fs other famous art works include the remarkable woodcuts piece, ?gThe Dance of Death?h and illustrations for Luther's Bible, the ?gMadonna of Burgomaster Meye?h altarpiece. Unfortunately, Holbein died in London in 1543 during a plague epidemic.

❦The Ambassadors

This painting was painted at the time that Henry VIII was trying to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne Bolyne, the second of his six wives.

Character: Two men in the painting

The character to the left is Jean de Dinteville, aged 29, French ambassador to England in 1533. To the right stands his friend, Georges de Selve, aged 25, Bishop of Lavaur, who acted on several?@occasions as ambassador to the Emperor, the Venetian Republic and the Holy See. Dinteville wearing an opulent, fur-lined coat and decorated with the Order of St. Michael, while de Selve's clothes are more restrained. The French ambassador Dinteville was on an official visit from France to calm the growing tensions between Henry VIII, King of England, and Pope Clement VII. On the other hand, De Selve mission was to represent the interests of the Catholic Church. Two of them are good friends and this painting was painted during Dinteville?fs visit to London.

Objects on the Top Shelf

There a...

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...how the way Holbein had drew the skull. According to the experts, it?fs real shape could only be seen by the viewer on a certain angle. I suspect that when the viewer look at it the right angle, the real shape will reveal but the other part of the painting would not visible in the viewer?fs eye. This is very interesting as it might have another deep meaning to the painting. Maybe Holbein was trying to suggest that the two men look at things at a different angle and think differently. If they could think flexibly, they might be able to find a way to persuade Henry VIII . Was Holbein trying to hint Jean de Dinteville and George de Selve to think at a different perspective to complete their mission? The distorted skull might be an indication that if both men ?es thinking are distorted and not on the right track, it will lead to the failure of the mission.

Whatever it is I personally think that this painting has a message to it but of all the analysis made by the expert, nobody can be sure of the real meaning of the painting except the artist himself.

References:

Foister, Susan, Roy Ashok & Martin Wyld, Making & Meaning: Holbein?fs Ambassadors, London : Yale U.P., 1997