The Ambassadors

Holbein's double portrait of two wealthy, learned Frenchmen bristles with objects symbolizing science, art and worldly power. A strange smear across the foreground resolves, when viewed from the side, into a human skull — a hidden reminder of mortality. It is a dazzling display of Northern Renaissance precision.

The Ambassadors

Hans Holbein the Younger

  • Date1533
  • MovementNorthern Renaissance
  • WhereNational Gallery, London
  • RegionBritain