The double portrait The Ambassadors is one of the best works of Hans Holbein the Younger. The painting depicts the French ambassadors Jean de Dentevil and Bishop Georges de Selve. I immediately noticed that their faces reflect seriousness and dignity; both men seem to open the viewer their world of objects and share their way of life, which combines the harmony of the active and contemplative. When I first saw the painting, I was filled with the feeling of internal peacefulness as the men's faces are calm, balanced, and they seem to merge with the space. Then, after paying attention to the objects, I found out that a still-life acts as the main element; it unites two people and emphasizes the individuality of each of them. But the most mysterious element of the painting, which impressed me a lot, is a strange elongated spot at the bottom of the picture, which appears to be a distorted perspective of a human skull. At first glance, it looked frightening to me, but then I understood its purpose to remind people that life is not eternal. This important element of Holbein's masterpiece shows the transience of life and the inevitability of death.
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The specifics of the double portrait The Ambassadors is that there is no single center for the audience's attention. People figures complement each other with the help of items, which, in turn, create a symbolic thread of the artwork. A variety of interesting objects can be noticed in the painting; they suggest versatility and interests of the ambassadors: music, geometry, mathematics, and astronomy. But there is one strange and frightening item that makes Holbein's masterpiece so popular: the distorted skull. This intentional distortion is called "anamorphosis" and has first been described by Leonardo da Vinci. To see the true image a human skull the viewer has to move to the right from the center of the picture. Holbein uses this optical technique to show the image of double vision when looking at life and death. When the viewer looks at the picture from the usual position, the life of two people and their interests can be seen; death appears as an illusory spot, which is not worth paying attention to. But the special angle of view shows that death is the only reality.
Since Hans Holbein the Younger is one of the brightest representatives of the German Renaissance, his masterpiece is painted in the spirit of the times. An important ideological component of the Northern Renaissance was the Reformation, which began in 1517, when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses criticizing Catholicism on the door of a church. It was the beginning of a new religious movement called Protestantism, which questioned the need for the church as a mediator between God and a man. The Reformation and the new outlook touched all segments of the society and naturally affected the cultural and artistic life of Europe. Artists, including Holbein, were no longer constrained by religious framework. With the formation of the image of a new man, who is free, independent, purposeful, and self-confident, the genre of portrait became popular.
Taking into account the author's biography, special attention should be paid to the fact that, after moving to England, Hans Holbein the Younger became a court painter to Henry VIII. It played a great role in his creative activity. Holbein made very interesting portraits of the king, his wives, daughters, and close friends, which are significant from the historical point of view. So it is with the painting The Ambassadors. This artwork also reflects religious beliefs of the artist. Holbein shows the views of Bishop de Selve and his own views on the existing religious situation, namely, reformation of the Church without separation from the Vatican. In the painting, a collection of holy hymns translated by Martin Luther into German can be seen. The book of hymns is opened at Psalm "Lord, Save our souls". The choice of these pages is not accidental as Holbein and de Selve call for the reformation of the church on the basis of Protestantism.
Holbein's artwork The Ambassadors is characteristic of the Renaissance period as humanistic ideas can be easily observed here. People in the painting are harmoniously depicted in the world of objects that surround them. It also reflects the achievements of that time: the great geographical discoveries, progress in astronomy and mathematics. In general, the viewers can see that on the bottom shelf material objects with earthly purposes are depicted, while on the upper shelf there are items of higher purpose that comprehend the laws of the universe, space, and time. In fact, thirst for knowledge characterizes the whole Renaissance era. Moreover, in the upper left corner, a small silver crucifix, which always keeps an eye on human actions and recalls death, can be noticed. But the period of Middle Ages has ended, and the face of Christ is just peeking out from behind the curtain.
The time of life of Hans Holbein the Younger, people, who surrounded him, cultural, political, and religious movements in the society directly affected his work. The artwork The Ambassadors is also relevant for today's audience and modern world. It shows the true values of life and death to the viewers of not only the Renaissance period but of all times. The painting is seemingly life-affirming and celebrates a new era of knowledge and science. However, life appears illusory, and neither scientific achievements nor progress can stop its transience. That is why, this painting is especially meaningful for the society of the 21st century, for the era of new technologies.
A double portrait is an incredibly complex genre of painting; however, in the artwork The Ambassadors Holbein managed to maintain a balance between the men and at the same time to show their connection with each other and with the space. Hans Holbein created a true masterpiece, which includes all humanistic representations of the time. The knowledge gained through the analysis of The Ambassadors has altered my feelings about Hans Holbein's work. It has become clear that Holbein did not only paint a portrait of two ambassadors but the portrait of the whole era. Moreover, the detailed examination of this work has given me a new evaluation of the significance of life, as this painting has an implication that neither power nor money is valuable in the face of death.
