Description
Today’s fascination with the glittering and deadly court of King Henry VIII would not exist without the artistic talent of one man: Hans Holbein the Younger, a German Catholic artist and the king’s official painter, who brought the Tudor era to life through more than 100 portraits that masterfully captured his subjects’ unique expressions. They included Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, King Henry and many of his six wives.
Hans Holbein the Younger’s 1533 painting, “The Ambassadors,” features a rather striking illusion at its base. Viewed obliquely from right to left, the image at the bottom of the painting appears to be an anamorphic skull. Scholars believe it is intended as a reminder that death is always just around the corner.
The Ambassadors ranks No. 58 on the list of famous paintings