A LITTLE ABOUT HOLBEIN'S "AMBASSADORS"
When talking about Holbein’s “The Ambassadors,” the first thing that comes to mind is the “strange spot in the foreground of the picture,” which at a certain angle takes on the shape of a skull.
The detail is catchy - but it’s not the only interesting thing about “Ambassadors”.
Two words about posing. The painting received the name “Ambassadors” quite late - art historians managed to establish who exactly is depicted in this double portrait by comparing Holbein’s work with the drawing French artist Jean Clouet, on which reverse side it was stated that the model was Jean de Dinteville:
In 1533, Jean de Dinteville, who was “only” 29 years old, was ending his tenure as ambassador to the English court. On his way to his homeland, France, a friend, Bishop of Lavor, Georges de Selve, 26 years old, stopped by to see him. He received the bishopric in 1526, when he was only 17 years old. (According to all the rules, the duties of a bishop could not be performed by a person under 25 years old - but the king was interested in de Selva's translation and diplomatic talents - and the church had to come to terms).
The composition of the double portrait of Holbein, commissioned by Jean de Dinteville, is unusual. Obviously, in drawing up the program for this picture and “tuning” (more about below) the astronomical instruments laid out on the table, Holbein was helped by his friend, astronomer and mathematician Nikolaus Kratzer, who worked at the English court.
On the shelf (or table) on which the subjects are leaning are laid out: below - objects associated with the earthly, lower world, above - objects associated with the heavenly world, the sky and astronomical observations: 2 gnomons
Their testimony allows us to accurately establish the moment to which the scene presented in the picture is attached: it is April 11, 1533, Good Friday, 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
This makes clear the presence of the Crucifixion in the upper left corner of the picture:
In this case, the composition chosen by Holbein for the portrait clearly correlates with the Mother of God and the Apostle John standing before the Cross:
Grunewald. Crucifixion. 1523 - 1524
In essence, the composition of “The Ambassadors” is based on the effect of a significant absence: in its center it is assumed, but not depicted, that the Cross on Golgotha is.
The courage of the decisions of the old masters is sometimes amazing. The solution chosen by Holbein is somewhat akin to that used by Memling in his "Diptych of Martin von Nieuwenhove", where the donor, represented on the right wing, is painted reflected in a mirror hanging behind the back of the Virgin.
Memling. "Diptych by Martin von Nieuwenhove." Detail
If you imagine that those portrayed in Holbein’s painting are facing a cross, it will become clear why a skull is present in the composition of the painting.
Holbein's skull can be clearly “read” inside the painting if you look at it from a certain angle, standing to the right of the canvas:
The optical effect used here by Holbein - anamorphosis, was quite well known to painters of that time. Thus, in one of the Franciscan monasteries you can see a fresco, which, if you look at it from the front, is perceived as a landscape:
And only at a certain viewing angle does it acquire its “true” appearance:
It represents the Savior, the Virgin and Child, the apostles Peter and Paul, St. Francis accepting the stigmata...
K:Paintings of 1533Holbein skillfully used various attributes to characterize the model. IN wonderful picture“Ambassadors”, two richly dressed people (the French ambassador to London, Jean de Denteville and Bishop Georges de Selve) are depicted in front of a high table, cluttered with many objects. They hint at their religious, intellectual and artistic interests. The strangest thing in the picture seems to be a certain elongated object placed in the foreground. If you look at it on the right, from a close distance, you can see that it is a skull.
Holbein in his work realizes the image of double vision - with the “direct” gaze of a person immersed in the routine of everyday life and who does not want to deal with the tragic metaphysics of earthly existence, death appears as an illusory spot that should not be paid attention to - but with a “special” (implying - a correct, deep) look, everything changes exactly the opposite - death turns into the only reality, and before our eyes, familiar life is distorted, deprived of meaning, acquiring the character of a phantom, an illusion.
Write a review about the article "Ambassadors (Holbein painting)"
Links
- in the database of the London National Gallery (English)
Excerpt characterizing the Ambassadors (Holbein painting)
- Come on! We, apparently, will have different concepts about many things. This is normal, right? – “nobly” the little girl reassured him. -Can I talk to them?- Speak if you can hear. – Miard turned to the miracle Savia who had come down to us, and showed something.
The wondrous creature smiled and came closer to us, while the rest of his (or her?..) friends still floated easily right above us, sparkling and shimmering in the bright rays of the sun.
“I am Lilis...lis...is...” an amazing voice echoed. He was very soft, and at the same time very sonorous (if such opposite concepts can be combined into one).
- Hello, beautiful Lillis. – Stella joyfully greeted the creature. - I'm Stella. And here she is – Svetlana. We are people. And you, we know, Saviya. Where did you come from? And what is Saviya? – questions again rained down, but I didn’t even try to stop her, since it was completely useless... Stella simply “wanted to know everything!” And she always remained like that.
Lillis came very close to her and began to examine Stella with her bizarre, huge eyes. They were bright crimson, with gold specks inside, and sparkled like precious stones. The face of this wonderful creature looked amazingly tender and fragile, and had the shape of a petal of our earthly lily. She “spoke” without opening her mouth, at the same time smiling at us with her small, round lips... But, probably, the most amazing thing they had was their hair... It was very long, almost reaching the edge of the transparent wing, absolutely weightless and , not having a constant color, all the time flashed with the most different and most unexpected brilliant rainbows... The transparent bodies of Savius were sexless (like the body of a small earthly child), and from the back they turned into “petals-wings”, which really made them look like huge bright flowers...
Renaissance
HOLBEIN, HANS THE YOUNGER (Holbein, Hans) (1497–1543), also Hans Holbein the Younger, German painter, one of the greatest portrait painters in Western European art.
Holbein's portraits are distinguished by their realistic and noble interpretation of images. An exceptionally versatile artist, he was the author of compositions on religious subjects, frescoes and interior decorations, and created sketches jewelry and stained glass, worked in the genre of book illustration.
Holbein was born in Augsburg; he was the son of Hans Holbein the Elder, famous artist, master of altar painting.
After studying in his father's workshop in 1514, he left for Basel, which was at that time the largest center of art and humanistic learning. Soon Holbein acquired patrons among prominent citizens, including the humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam.
While traveling in Italy (in 1518) and Southern France(in 1524) Holbein significantly expanded his horizons.
In 1528 he returned to Basel, and from 1530 he finally settled in London. In 1536 he became court painter to King Henry VIII.
During the years spent in England, he created approx. 150 portraits. Holbein died of the plague in London in 1543.
Holbein was a portrait painter of a purely analytical nature.
Direct work on the portrait was preceded by short period observations, during which the artist tried to determine for himself the most important character traits of the model. Each time he managed to give an amazingly accurate and comprehensive description of the personality of the person being portrayed.
Ambassadors. 1533. Oak board, oil. 207×209 cm. National Gallery (London)
The painting is rightfully considered an outstanding masterpiece of the Renaissance.
Double portrait commissioned by Jean de Dentelville, the French king's ambassador to England (he is on the left).
The second person in the picture is Jean’s friend, Georges de Selve, bishop of the French city of Lavura.
The picture is interesting for its composition and hidden meanings.
Two young men (both are under 30, this is encrypted in the picture) are depicted in full height, on both sides of the center.
On the left is the 29-year-old French ambassador to England Jean de Denteville (age indicated in Latin letters(that is, “his 29th summer”), engraved on the golden scabbard of the dagger).
On the right is Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavoie, who visited London in April 1533.
The young man is 25 years old (Holbein notes his age on the book on which he rests his hand).
Denteville and Selve form a classic Renaissance couple: one figure personifies energetic activity, the second - in-depth contemplation.
In the center is a bookcase covered with an oriental carpet and filled with different objects– they form the essence of the ambassadors’ hobbies, show their mission and passions. On the upper tier there are instruments associated with the celestial (astronomical globe, gnomon, quadrant), on the lower - with the terrestrial (terrestrial globe, maps, compasses, lute, books).
The inscriptions on the globe are also one of the ways to characterize one of the heroes of the canvas.
They mark geographical points that have special meaning for Denteville. In particular, this is the castle of Polisy (near Troyes), owned by the ambassador, the first “place of residence” of Holbein’s painting.
Attention is drawn to an oblong spot on the floor between the two ambassadors.
If you look at the picture in real size and move 2 m to the right, then the spot takes on its true shape - this is a skull. "The characters and all their scientific instruments disappear, and in their place appears the sign of the End. The play ends." (quote from Jurgis Baltrušaitis).
Holbein resorted to anamorphosis (intentional distortion of form).
And when the viewer begins to see the skull, everything else fades into the background.
What did Holbein want to say?
No matter what, the end is always the same - death? “Memento mogi” (from Latin - “Remember death”) - this is the motto of Jean de Dentelville.
Holbein reflected this in the portrait.
There are three skulls in the painting!
One is an anamorphosis, the other is a brooch on de Dentelville’s beret, and the third is in an anamorphosis skull, you just need to look at it from a certain angle.
On the left is a small silver crucifix, almost lost in the folds of the green curtain - a symbol of atonement for sins and hope for salvation (the crucifix, unlike the whole picture, is black and white).
So, one side of the picture is earthly life, full of discoveries in heaven and on earth, philosophical and moral and ethical discussions. But there is a second, hidden one.
The rich collection of musical, astronomical and scientific instruments symbolizes the learning and power of these two people.
However, all this splendor and arrogance are in vain - in contrast to the luxury and wealth of the envoys, Holbein depicts symbols of death: a broken string on a lute, a skull.
A collection of Lutheran hymns, opened on the psalm "Save, O Lord, our souls."
The sundial accurately indicates the time of action - 10.30 am on April 11 - Good Friday in 1533.
Holbein revealed in this picture the spiritual delusion of many people - from the ordinary view of a person who is immersed in the routine of everyday life and does not want to deal with the tragic metaphysics of earthly existence, death appears to be an illusory blurry spot that should not be paid attention to - but with the right , in a deep look, everything changes exactly the opposite - death turns into the only reality, and familiar life is distorted before our eyes, acquiring the character of a temporary phantom with no real value, an illusion.
Holbein created the famous series of drawings of the Dance of Death (published in woodcuts of Lyon in 1538); they depict death affecting people from different walks of life.
Hans Holbein was the court painter of King Henry VIII.
Written by him famous portrait Henry VIII and his four wives (out of six).
Henry VIII (Henry VIII). Hans Holbein (Hans Holbein the Younger)
Henry VIII was married six times.
His wives, each of whom stood behind a certain political or religious group, sometimes forced him to make changes in their political or religious views.
Henry VIII. Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1536-37
The artist spent the last period of his life between Basel and London. In 1543, between October 7 and November 29, he died of the plague that raged in London at the age of 46.
Self-portrait. 1542. Uffizi Gallery
There is something hidden from view in this picture. Before us is “The Ambassadors” by Holbein. This painting was painted in 1533 and is in the National Gallery in London. On the left is Jean de Dentville, the French ambassador to England. On the right is Georges de Selve, his friend. The bishop is also an ambassador. At the time of painting, they were both in England. Holbein is a Swiss artist, but he moved to England because he was offered a job there. Soon after painting the picture, he became the court artist of the English king Henry VIII. King Henry VIII was just at this time preparing to separate the state from the Pope and the Catholic Church. We know that a French ambassador was in England to look after Henry VIII during this troubled period. In this picture there are allusions to the unrest that is happening in England. But they are placed in an even broader context. Let's start with these two men. On the left is Jean de Dentville. It was he who ordered this painting, and it hung in his house. Undoubtedly, he is depicted here as an extremely rich and successful man. Look at this fur-trimmed cloak, velvet and satin clothing. And... He holds a dagger. He holds a dagger with his age written on it - 29 years old. This man is still very young. And Holbein took great pains to depict his clothing with all the clarity and detail characteristic of northern tradition, to which his work belongs. And on the right stands Georges de Selve, dressed more modestly - in a fur cloak. He rested his elbow on the book. Isn't that an interesting contrast? On one side there is a dagger, on the other there is a book. These are quite traditional symbols of an active and contemplative life. On the book on which Georges de Selve placed his elbow, his age is written - 25 years. Of course, it was implied that the viewer would be looking at both of them. Maybe it was even more important for the artist that people see the middle of the picture - the objects lying on two shelves. Holbein brilliantly reproduced textures and materials, giving the depicted objects a special realism. And, of course, there is some meaning in all of them. On the top shelf are objects related to heaven. To the study of astronomy and time measurement. On the bottom shelf are more earthly things. Before us is a globe and a lute, as well as a book on arithmetic. And a collection of hymns. The picture functions as a kind of coordinate system. Left - active life. On the right is contemplative. Above are the celestial spheres. Below is earthly. Look how amazingly shortened the lute is on the bottom shelf. Lutes have traditionally been depicted as an exercise in perspective. And here we have an exceptionally masterful reproduction of how much shorter the lute looks when you look at it from this angle. But if you look very closely, and this is possible thanks to the extreme clarity of Holbein’s paintings, you can see that one of the strings of the lute has broken. It was torn. Art historians perceive this as a hint of the discord occurring in Europe at the time. Discord in the church. A similar reference can be found in the hymnal below. It is depicted in an open form, and so clearly that it can be read. This is a hymn translated by Martin Luther - the head of the Protestant Reformation, as we all know. There is real luxury all around. We haven't even mentioned, for example, the oriental rug. All these objects, all these unusually smart clothes on the characters in the portrait... And all this is on a mosaic floor, laid out with excellently painted tiles. Linear perspective is flawless. And it resembles the floor of Westminster Abbey. It is important to know that the floor of the abbey is a kind of diagram reproducing the macrocosom, that is, the cosmic order. Now let's look at a very large object occupying the foreground. You know, one of my students, seeing him, said that he looked like a piece of driftwood, which for some reason was placed in the foreground of the picture in some strange position. Indeed, it seems so. But if you go to the right corner of the picture and sit down slightly, then... Or look at this object in a mirror placed at a certain angle... It turns out that in front of us is actually an anamorphic image, which has been artificially stretched in perspective. And this is a skull. Human. It cannot be seen when you see all the other elements of the picture. You can see it only when all the other elements of the picture are not visible to you. The viewer has a choice. Or stand in front of the picture so that you can see the skull, and everything else is only in a distorted form. Or vice versa. In the foreground of this picture, in the very center, like central figure, - scull. Traditional symbol of death. - Memento mori. - That's right. Reminder of death. This is a very common element that can often be seen in paintings. But now we are faced with a picture that at first glance seems to praise earthly achievements. And now she seems to be questioning them. - Exactly. - Let's take a closer look. You see, on the left top corner In the picture, a barely visible sculpture of the Crucifixion peeks out from behind the curtain. But then a question arises that takes us back to Holbein. The question of reproducing reality. You mentioned the lute, which is so perfectly shortened. Or about the field, which is also depicted perfectly from a perspective point of view. This artist can flawlessly reproduce reality. However, he decides to depict the skull in a completely unnaturalistic way. He decides to reproduce the earthly realistically, and the supernatural or transcendental - in such a way that there is no talk of any flawless reproduction of real objects. I think Holbein really wants us to see this contrast. Look at the relationship between the lute and the skull. The skull is so badly distorted that it is truly difficult to recognize. However, when we think of stretching something, we think of stretching horizontally or perhaps vertically. Vertical stretching is a very special case. The lute lies on the shelf. As I already mentioned, it is significantly shortened. Moreover, it lies at an angle that is very close to the angle of distortion of the skull. But do not forget that shortening is also a distortion. Therefore, in a sense, both subjects are distorted. However, one of these distortions allows us to realistically depict part of our world as we see it. Perhaps this is a reminder that not everything we see is true. That's right. Not all. There is something to think about here, because this picture was written about what these young people achieved in life. And people in general - throughout history, in the course of understanding the world. These two images, hidden from an insufficiently inquisitive gaze - a crucifix and a skull - indicate the boundaries earthly life, the limits of physical vision, human knowledge, as well as the inevitability of death and the promise of the sacrifice made by Christ on the cross. Subtitles by the Amara.org community
07:13 pm - Vanitas Hans Holbein, AmbassadorsHere I’ll show you a little “mysterious” art... at first glance it’s a banal picture... but now I’ll intrigue you - in front of you is a small optical illusion.... By the way, I’m adding the appropriate TAG)
[The Ambassadors (1533), National Gallery, London]
“On the left of the portrait is Jean de Denteville, the French ambassador to the court of Henry VIII, on the right is his friend, Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavoie, who visited London in April 1533. According to some reports, it was Selve who advised his comrade to order a portrait of Holbein, who had recently returned to England and was looking for new patrons.
The heroes of the canvas, looking directly at the viewer, are depicted surrounded by many astronomical and navigation instruments, which, in combination with things lying on the bottom shelf of the bookcase (books, musical instruments, globe), are designed to emphasize the lifestyle and sphere of mental interests of these people.
The many details of the painting, painted by the artist in an extremely realistic manner, are contrasted with a strange object placed in the foreground of the canvas. It forms the symbolic series of this work, turning out to be - upon detailed examination - a human skull distorted in perspective.
The monstrously distorted skull placed in the foreground makes the composition triangular and more dynamic, the dynamics being emphasized by the geometric patterns of the carpet
Interpreters usually associate this anamorphosis with the Vanitas genre, and the general pathos of the picture with a critique of science's claims to higher knowledge, which reveals its ephemerality in the face of death. The ambassadors and the still life associated with them are given in codes linear perspective with a clear focus on the illusion of genuine deception. It is also significant in this context that the anamorphosis of the skull hangs directly above a perspective depiction of the floor mosaic of Westminster Abbey. Contrast with clarity scientific knowledge, the stability of a comfortable existence, the only reality of the world we see and at the same time the death hanging over it all, making human existence meaningless, turned out to be unusually close to the worldview modern man. Holbein gave in his work the image of double vision - with the direct gaze of a person who is immersed in the routine of everyday life and does not want to deal with the tragic metaphysics of earthly existence, death appears as an illusory spot that should not be paid attention to - but with a special look, everything changes exactly the opposite - death turns into the only reality, and familiar life is distorted before our eyes, acquiring the character of a phantom, an illusion.)"
