Holbein's "Ambassadors", the picture and the men : $b an historical study
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2025-12-04 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77401 |
Description
"The pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria" by of Alexandria Hero is a scientific treatise written in the 1st century AD. It explains the principles of air and fluid pressure through descriptions of automata, siphons, fountains, temple “wonders,” and other mechanical contrivances, showing how controlled air, steam, and water can produce striking effects. The opening of this historical study examines Hans Holbein’s double portrait known as “The Ambassadors,” laying out its purpose: to identify the sitters, reconstruct the painting’s history, and interpret the symbolic objects depicted. The author reviews earlier misidentifications, then marshals internal clues (the 1533 date, the Order of St. Michael, and the ages inscribed on dagger and book) and newly surfaced documents to confirm the figures as Jean de Dinteville and George de Selve. Key evidence includes a 17th‑century parchment once tied to the picture at Polisy, notes preserved by the Godefroy family from the antiquary Camusat, and ecclesiastical records matching de Selve’s age. The provenance is traced from its creation in London (1533) to Polisy, removal to Paris in 1653, a long gap, reappearance at the Beaujon sale (1787), and then via Le Brun and Longford Castle to the National Gallery. The narrative also sketches the Dinteville family’s lineage, estates, and court connections, and situates Jean within the humanist, reform‑minded milieu of Francis I’s France (Budé, Lefèvre d’Étaples, the Du Bellay, Montmorency), before recounting early 1530s family events, including his father’s death, a brother’s death at Malta, and the Auxerre bishop’s brush with the law. (This is an automatically generated summary.)