Hans Holbein the younger analyse The Ambassadors

Biography:

Hans Holbein the younger was a German printmaker and painter. He was born in Augsburg in 1497 and dead in 1543 in London. His father and brother was painter, so, he study in the painting workshop of his father one of the most prestigious of his city.

Style/period:

Hans Holbein the younger worked during the Northern Renaissance and his father (Hans Holbein the elder) had an influence and his work.

Description:

The composition of this work is very interesting. In the foreground we can see two characters the first on the left is the ambassador of king of France and the second is the bishop of Lavaur. Always in the foreground but in the bottom there is a death’s-head on a symmetrical carpet. Then in the middle ground there are a lot of objects on a shelf. And on the background we can see a green curtain. The focus of attention is on the death’s-head because it is in a very strange perspective (it’s an “anamorphose”). To finish on the composition we notice that this painting is a representation of the meeting between two people (Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selves). This painting is a double portrait in a full length.

This portrait has a soft light who falls on the face of the characters and the colors are restrained and dark.

The technique of the artiste is classic so the portrait is a very good likeness but there nothing else about the technique.

To finish this painting is an oil painting on wood, something common at the time of the artiste.

Interpretation:

“The Ambassadors” represent the meeting between Jean de Dinteville (ambassador of France’s king) and Georges de Selves (bishop of Lavaur).But the artiste wanted to transmit a message about the death with objects in background and the death's-head on the floor but he already wanted show how the Christianity and the faith could conquer death with the crucifix (in the top left corner). So in this painting Hans Holbein speaks about death and religion, his aim was to show us that the faith is stronger than the death. His message is still valid today because the death and the faith are themes which cross ages.

Public criticism

This painting was painted during a period of political and religious tension and it should calm these tensions and bringing new things to art (in this painting the death’s-head is in “3D”). And Hans Holbein has succeeded because this new point of view was very liked by the art critics. What’s more today the ambassador has always a lot of message for us like the theme of the death and the faith.

My criticism

I don’t have notice on this painting because it represents an historical moment but like a photography. So it’s very well painting but I feel nothing in front of this painting.

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