The Ambassadors

A pale, stretched shape lies between the two men’s feet. Seen from a shallow angle towards the painting’s lower right, it resolves into a skull. Holbein used a distortion called anamorphosis to place two different ways of seeing within one picture. The men are Jean de Dinteville, France’s ambassador to England, and his friend Georges de Selve, a bishop with diplomatic duties. Hans Holbein painted them in 1533, during the political and religious upheaval surrounding Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn and England’s break with Rome. Globes, measuring instruments and books describe the men’s learning and status. A broken lute string has often been understood as an image of discord. These objects belong to the portrait’s historical setting, while their painted surfaces display Holbein’s skill. Compare the fur, pink satin, carpet and polished instruments. Their convincing textures hold your gaze from in front. The skull asks you to move. Leave space for other visitors while trying its unusual viewpoint.