The Ambassadors Painting Floor

As well as being a double portrait the painting contains a still life of several meticulously rendered objects the meaning of which is the cause of much debate.

The ambassadors painting floor.

No satisfactory explanation has been presented for holbein s inclusion of this detail in the painting. Jean de dinteville the man on the left is shown on his second diplomatic mission to england on behalf of francis i king of france. It would be draped over a table as shown in the ambassadors to be displayed as a beautiful object to observe and delight in. The artist s most iconic painting however eludes direct interpretation.

The floor is an intricate mosaic floor based on the remarkable medieval floor of westminster abbey. Under the lower table one can just make out the left hand prong of the 6 sided star of david. We can find similar carpets in other renaissance paintings often draped over parapets or tables. Jean de dinteville and georges de selve 1533 also known as the ambassadors has been heavily scrutinized by centuries of historians the double portrait proudly displayed at london s national gallery remains a fascinating enigma within which every detail seems to suggest multiple meanings.

The traditional view of the mosaic floor in holbein s the ambassadors is that it is a copy of the medieval cosmati pavement in the sanctuary of westminster abbey the sacred area in front of the abbey s high altar a floor that is similar to the one beneath michelangelo s creation of adam in the sistine chapel. To the right is his close friend georges de selve bishop of lavaur. However the national gallery has displayed holbein s mind bending painting since. The plumbline legends grew up about the ancient greek artist apelles and his contest with rival protogenes over who could paint the thinnest.

This portrait was painted at a time of religious upheaval in europe. For example a floor with a similar pattern can be seen in the sistine chapel perhaps significantly directly beneath michelangelo s creation of adam. The ambassadors by hans holbein the younger 1497 1543 in the national gallery liverpool it is not possible to review fully the many conjectures which have been made concerning this celebrated painting the identities of the ambassadors the meanings of the various objects which are displayed or the explanation for the curious fish like object seen on the floor which was discovered to be. Of course many sixteenth century portraits of learned men contain objects that reflect their occupations and interests but holbein s picture is particularly impressive owing to its extraordinary attention to detail and the sheer amount of information it contains.

The pattern of the floor is not unique to the westminster abbey pavement. The ambassadors now lives in london. Occasionally such carpets are shown on the floor underneath the virgin mary to convey her elevated status as a holy figure. The ambassadors 1533 is a painting by hans holbein the younger also known as jean de dinteville and georges de selve it was created in the tudor period in the same year elizabeth i was born.