I enjoy the speakers' breakdowns of the works of art and their great knowledge of history. Thank you.

Hearing about such a fascinating subject from an era greatly helps you to feel that such a time once has been real and how it still reaches into the present.

First sighting of the 'Cool S'

This is definitely one of my favorites so far. It was immediately striking to me - I loved the vivid colors and smoothness of it... But the more I learned, the more impressed and intrigued I became. I'd love to see more work by this artist. :)

All rather wonderful, your scholarship does you credit, and is a joy for us. Thank you.

Listening to these doctors talk about this amazing painting is great! Thank you

Absolutely FASCINATING!! As always with your wonderful videos I have been listen to again and again for years now, completely enthralled !

that was absolutely mindblowing

This painting is so interesting!

Incredible, thanks for sharing.

These masterpieces are well worth much consideration and analysis. Thank you for the insights, doctors. As I heard on another video about this painting, the expression on both faces conveys a self satisfaction that needs no confirmation, an alertness but little if any wariness. Something modern there.

Love the interpretation, thanks for sharing!

This painting was featured in the movie "Calvary", which I watched last night. The themes of the painting and the movie are similar to each other.

Wow so many Easter eggs! 10/10 Can’t wait for the DLC!

How many people would spot all those details? Amazing.

This is Marvelous!

amazing analysis! thank you!

Marvelous! Thank you! Love your videos.

A note about the mosaic floor… that was actually the exact location where Anne Boleyn was soon to be, or was recently, crowned Queen of England. I think it’s fascinating that Holbein included that detail, since Anne’s marriage to Henry was the key reason for ‘discord’ in the realm regarding religion. Henry was breaking with Rome because the Pope refused to grant Henry an annulment from his first marriage. Anne was a believer in reform within the church, though not technically a Lutheran. Through her, many prominent figures who believed in reform or outright Protestantism were elevated to positions of power within the government and church. I think the Ambassadors, as well as Holbein, are conflicted about some of these changes. In many ways they believed in unity within the two factions, or had colleagues and friends on both sides. I think Holbein might have shared Anne’s views on religion up to a point, but he clearly was friends with More and other traditional Catholics whom he knew and were his friends and patrons. It was a challenging time for sure and most people picked sides. I think Dentiville and Holbein are advocating for peace in this painting.

I had not given the crucifix on the left equal billing to the anamorphic skull prior to this viewing. I’m not certain that it deserves it, but this interpretation is not entirely without merit. It would be interesting to see how the image of the cross, a symbol of resurrection, fares when the skull is brought into proper view. The canvas is subdivided along 2 axes. The axis along which the skull must be viewed reduces the picture plane into a foreshortened anamorphic spectacle, just as the skull had been prior to the viewer’s decision to move and “decode” the painting. By making this motion, the Z axis becomes part of the piece, and the painting itself announces itself as yet another sign of wealth and mastery over the domains of knowledge therein represented. The painting thus becomes its own meta-commentary. Whatever it is that resides in the space to the left of the painting effectively becomes part of the composition. It would have been interesting to know what was situated there when it was originally put on display. The very dominant oddity of the skull is central to the contemplation of this piece, and with this dynamic shift in representation, Hans Holbein the Younger makes the viewer aware of the picture plane in a way that others had not previously. I think we may look back in this painting with great reverence for its departure from formal representation at a time when so much was beginning to be understood about what it is to see and perceive the natural world.

is anything known aout how long such detailed paintings like these would've taken to complete? that's something that I've always wondered

"the universal S" a symbol drawn by school children all over the world for as long as anyone can remember is also depicted in this painting, on its side near the center, much earlier than any other know example of the symbol

This was great! Thanks.

Now i realize the reason why the anamorphic skull is located at the bottom. Thank you

i was always struck but what an unusual work this was for its time, specifically due to the apparition-like skull. as well the rest of the picture is incredibly striking, and also filled with the assorted symbolic details of the objects. a fairly haunting and surreal work for its time.

Cool video. Thanks.

Amazing! Great Art

With so much deliberate thought and detail that went into the painting, i wonder what the overturned black lute under the table represents. Or is that just a random lute case?

Photo realism to the extreme. I'm a little ambivalent. Your analysis is absolutely fantastic. Thanks

one of my favorites!

I’m in 10th grade trying to find images that connect to the scientific revolution and the age of exploration but I am so lost 😞

Excellent Apprendiship

Has anyone played the sheet music?

Perhaps you could comment on the reaction to the painting by the two ambassadors? Was this painting instrumental in Holbein becoming court painter? Many thanks for your excellent scholarship and wonderful presentation schools. I hope making these videos is as much fun as watching them.

Dr. Steven Zucker should get into asmr

First time seeing this, I was like: wtf is this distorted skull doing there? Now I can see a meaning behind. But still - how tf did he came up with that!?

wow!

great video! does anyone know what the upside-down black lute might represent on the floor underneath the table?

Would the patrons have been aware of the skull undermining their portraits?

I have to write a 2 page essay about this painting and I don’t know what to do🤦‍♂️

Would the patrons have been aware of the skull undermining the painting?

Is Holbein the Younger considered Swiss or German? I thought he was born in Augsburg, Bavaria.

holbein was awesome but this was an odd painting in my view

Wow the skull is sooo weird!

Although the picture shows the southern European, Italian tradition of same-sex male friendship, the symbolism of the picture follows the German tradition of engagement or marriage portraits. With all the symbolism, the couple shows in an unusual way that they are not only sexually connected, "as was customary in a male friendship at court," but that they are also connected emotionally. The picture is a declaration of love and symbolizes that this is above a reneissance homoerotic friendship. All this is a clear and not a secret symbolism of this time period.

*W o a h, It's the universal S*

🤤

There are very few slits to show the undershirt which is supposed to be expensive fine linen. Why not more? Is he phony? Not as wealthy as he pretends?

Grüße aus der 11a

wow a super S 0.07seconds

Holbein was not a Swiss painter! 🤦‍♂️