Can a single work of art reflect the entire universe? In 1533, German painter Hans Holbein confronted this question by creating a painting of unprecedented visual richness: The Ambassadors, now housed in London. A masterpiece not only famous for what it shows, but for what it hides – for this painting is coded and enigmatic.
From the overturned globe to the lute with a broken string, from the mathematics book opened to a page on division to the astronomical tools set to impossible measurements, the symbols of humanist culture presented by Holbein disguise hidden signs of discord and disarray: the rivalries between Henry VIII, Francis I and Charles V, rising tensions between Catholics and Protestants, the discovery of the Americas… An entire historical context condensed into this teeming canvas.
Artistic tour de force, the anamorphic skull that hovers in the foreground – revealing itself when viewed from the right side of the frame – serves as a reminder of human mortality and questions the very notion of reality.
Weaving together expert commentary, historical archives and excerpts from silent films, this captivating visual exploration delves into the power struggles of Renaissance rulers and tells the story of an age caught between innovation and anxiety – an era that echoes strikingly with our own.
Direction: Jacques Loeuille
Production: Artline Films & Pictanovo for ARTE France