Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
What SECRET MESSSAGES are hidden in one of Hans Holbein’s most famous works of art, The Ambassadors? Painted in 1533 during the reign of Henry VIII and depicting Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve, The Ambassadors has everything from a creepy anamorphic skull in the foreground, which can only be viewed properly from a certain angle, to scientific and musical instruments and discreet lines of text. So what are the hidden meanings in this painting and how should we decipher The Ambassadors? What is the geographical Holbein globe showing and how does it help to identify one of the sitters? What does the celestial globe placed elsewhere in the painting mean, what is the musical composition, why is the lute string broken, what should we make of the time keeping devices and the open arithmetic book and where is the little hidden image of Christ on the cross? Why is the skull placed in such a difficult to view place and is the painting meant to signify the religious disputes occurring across Europe at this time as the Reformation raged?
The painting now hangs in the National Gallery in London, opposite another of Holbein’s works, his portrait of Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine. It was controversially restored in 1996 with some claiming that the skull was damaged in the process but remains a highly popular image. It had a whole life before arriving at the Gallery though and as part of this art history documentary from History Calling, I’ll be tracing its provenance for you, as well as discussing its many layers of meaning. I hope you enjoy this video on one of the world’s most famous paintings.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
ART HISTORY PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0Eh4LJzcqLO_ayueqJt8ao-
THE LIFE OF HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER
youtu.be/HKwM-2GahTg
CHRISTINA OF DENMARK: THE GIRL WHO ESCAPED HENRY VIII
youtu.be/JLgNiktAcmE
ANNE OF CLEVES: THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING
youtu.be/AIerL1Bug-U
KEEP LEARNING:
[FREE] The National Gallery’s video on the painting, hosted by Susan Foister.
youtu.be/paA8hqqQ-_w
[FREE] Mary Hervey, Holbein's "Ambassadors": the picture and the men: an historical study (1900)
archive.org/details/gri_33125001712401/mode/1up
[FREE] Zoom in on The Ambassadors
nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/hans-holbein-the-younger-the-ambassadors
Kate Bomford, ‘Friendship and immortality: Holbein's "Ambassadors" revisited’ in Renaissance Studies, Vol. 18, No. 4 (2004), pp. 544-81.
Elly Dekker and Kristin Lippincott, ‘The Scientific Instruments in Holbein's Ambassadors: A Re-Examination ‘ in Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 62 (1999), pp. 93-125.
Florian Heine, Holbein: Masters of Art (Prestel Verlag, Munich, New York, London, 2022).
amzn.to/3Vxdd5Q
Hagi Kenaan, ‘The 'Unusual Character' of Holbein's "Ambassadors"’ in Artibus et Historiae, vol. 23, no. 46 (2002), pp 61–75.
Mary Rasmussan, ‘The Case of the Flutes in Holbein's "The Ambassadors"’ in Early Music, Vol. 23, No. 1, Flute Issue (1995), pp. 114-123.
Roy Strong, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits (1969)
amzn.to/4dj6Pql
[FREE] Martin Wyld, ‘The Restoration History of Holbein's "Ambassadors"’ in National Gallery Technical Bulletin, Vol. 19 (1998), pp. 4–25. Available at nationalgallery.org.uk/research/research-resources/technical-bulletin/the-restoration-history-of-holbein-s-the-ambassadors#:~:text=Holbein's%20technique%20and%20his%20choice,sustained%20in%20changing%20environmental%20conditions.
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3rTWScL
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
Microphone: amzn.to/3rYtjH8
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#HansHolbein #HansHolbeinTheYounger #TheAmbassadors
What SECRET MESSSAGES are hidden in one of Hans Holbein’s most famous works of art, The Ambassadors? Painted in 1533 during the reign of Henry VIII and depicting Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve, The Ambassadors has everything from a creepy anamorphic skull in the foreground, which can only be viewed properly from a certain angle, to scientific and musical instruments and discreet lines of text. So what are the hidden meanings in this painting and how should we decipher The Ambassadors? What is the geographical Holbein globe showing and how does it help to identify one of the sitters? What does the celestial globe placed elsewhere in the painting mean, what is the musical composition, why is the lute string broken, what should we make of the time keeping devices and the open arithmetic book and where is the little hidden image of Christ on the cross? Why is the skull placed in such a difficult to view place and is the painting meant to signify the religious disputes occurring across Europe at this time as the Reformation raged?
The painting now hangs in the National Gallery in London, opposite another of Holbein’s works, his portrait of Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine. It was controversially restored in 1996 with some claiming that the skull was damaged in the process but remains a highly popular image. It had a whole life before arriving at the Gallery though and as part of this art history documentary from History Calling, I’ll be tracing its provenance for you, as well as discussing its many layers of meaning. I hope you enjoy this video on one of the world’s most famous paintings.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
ART HISTORY PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0Eh4LJzcqLO_ayueqJt8ao-
THE LIFE OF HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER
youtu.be/HKwM-2GahTg
CHRISTINA OF DENMARK: THE GIRL WHO ESCAPED HENRY VIII
youtu.be/JLgNiktAcmE
ANNE OF CLEVES: THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING
youtu.be/AIerL1Bug-U
KEEP LEARNING:
[FREE] The National Gallery’s video on the painting, hosted by Susan Foister.
youtu.be/paA8hqqQ-_w
[FREE] Mary Hervey, Holbein's "Ambassadors": the picture and the men: an historical study (1900)
archive.org/details/gri_33125001712401/mode/1up
[FREE] Zoom in on The Ambassadors
nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/hans-holbein-the-younger-the-ambassadors
Kate Bomford, ‘Friendship and immortality: Holbein's "Ambassadors" revisited’ in Renaissance Studies, Vol. 18, No. 4 (2004), pp. 544-81.
Elly Dekker and Kristin Lippincott, ‘The Scientific Instruments in Holbein's Ambassadors: A Re-Examination ‘ in Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 62 (1999), pp. 93-125.
Florian Heine, Holbein: Masters of Art (Prestel Verlag, Munich, New York, London, 2022).
amzn.to/3Vxdd5Q
Hagi Kenaan, ‘The 'Unusual Character' of Holbein's "Ambassadors"’ in Artibus et Historiae, vol. 23, no. 46 (2002), pp 61–75.
Mary Rasmussan, ‘The Case of the Flutes in Holbein's "The Ambassadors"’ in Early Music, Vol. 23, No. 1, Flute Issue (1995), pp. 114-123.
Roy Strong, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits (1969)
amzn.to/4dj6Pql
[FREE] Martin Wyld, ‘The Restoration History of Holbein's "Ambassadors"’ in National Gallery Technical Bulletin, Vol. 19 (1998), pp. 4–25. Available at nationalgallery.org.uk/research/research-resources/technical-bulletin/the-restoration-history-of-holbein-s-the-ambassadors#:~:text=Holbein's%20technique%20and%20his%20choice,sustained%20in%20changing%20environmental%20conditions.
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3rTWScL
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
Microphone: amzn.to/3rYtjH8
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#HansHolbein #HansHolbeinTheYounger #TheAmbassadors
