“The Ambassadors,” a seminal work by Hans Holbein, was completed in the year 1533. Rendered in oil on panel, this portrait is a representation of the Northern Renaissance art movement. The dimensions of the work are considerable, measuring 209.5 cm by 207 cm. The portrait currently resides in the National Gallery in London, United Kingdom, and the artwork was created in Germany.
The artwork in question presents a double portrait of two men who are richly attired and stand amidst a collection of instruments and objects that symbolize the wealth and learning of the Renaissance era. The figures are identified as French ambassadors. On the left, one ambassador stands with his hand placed on a dagger while wearing a sumptuously decorated coat with fur trim, indicative of his status. The other stands to the right, garbed in a somber robe, with his arm outstretched towards a set of shelves bearing an array of scientific instruments, such as a celestial globe, a quadrant, and a polyhedral sundial, as well as items related to navigation and learning.
The intricately patterned floor echoes the design of a church, and upon closer inspection, it is clear that the artist has also included an anamorphic perspective sketch of a skull at the forefront of the painting. This distorted image can only be viewed correctly from a certain angle or by using a special device, like a cylindrical mirror, and is typically interpreted as a memento mori, a reminder of mortality. The inclusion of this element, along with the detailed rendering of the myriad objects, underscores the artists’ mastery over the artistic techniques of the time, as well as the layers of allegorical meaning often found in Northern Renaissance paintings.