The ambassadors: a double portrait and death

The Ambassadors of Hans Holbein the Younger has fascinated (and surprised) spectators for centuries. On the surface, it is a double portrait of two French ambassadors, but when you look a little closer, this painting is full of secret details that tell a very different story. In this video we explore what it all means.

#art #artist #painting #art history #holbein #artwork #ambassadors

00h00 – The ambassadors
01:58 – Religious and political tensions
03:25 – Masters of the Arts
04:36 – A hidden skull

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Mentioned works:

Fiore, Julia. “Decoding the symbolism in “Ambassadors” by Hans Holbein. » Artsy. August 17, 2018. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-decoding-symbolism-hans-holbeins-ambassadors

Gombrich, EH The History of Art. Phaeton, 1972.

Hosack, Karen et al. Superb paintings. Dorling Kindersly Limited, 2018.

Kilroy-Ewbank, Lauren. “The Carpet and the Globe: Holbein’s Ambassadors Reframed.” Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern/holbein/a/the-carpet-and-the-globe-holbeins-the-ambassadors-reframed

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