The Ambassadors Painting Rug

The ambassadors painting by hans holbein the younger.

The ambassadors painting rug.

You want to use a rug with a low nap or a flat woven rug work best. Detail of the holbein rug in the ambassadors painting by hans holbein the younger. The artist s most iconic painting however eludes direct interpretation. 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.

There s a great example in andrea del verrocchio s madonna with john the baptist and donatus c. Holbein carpets are a type of carpet taking their name from hans holbein the younger due to their depiction in european renaissance paintings although they are shown in paintings from many decades earlier than holbein the art historian kurt erdmann has sub divided the holbein design into four types of which holbein actually only painted two. The skull appears in correct perspective only when the painting is seen from an acute angle looking diagonally down from the left hand side of the painting or. In the meantime here are 7 tips to help you create a beautiful painted rug.

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 first thing to do is find the right kind of rug. As well as being a portrait the ambassadors is also a still life painting featuring numerous meticulously rendered objects. Large pattern square star filled fields plus small squares and gul octagonal medallions plus ornaments of unequal scale identify a type 4 holbein rug.

It s not the same rug as the one in the ambassadors portrait but it s clearly in the same style. 6 north also writes that the symbols s and e. In hans holbein s famously inexplicable painting the ambassadors a large anamorphic skull appears to lie across the floor at the feet of two dandified renaissance gentlemen. 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.

Holbein rugs don t just appear in holbeins. 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. A full tutorial on how to make this greek key rug plus a printable worksheet is coming up soon.