The Ambassadors

My good friend Mj attends grad school at the University of Reading in England, we met while studying abroad in London our junior years of college and that lucky guy went right on back across the pond. He had a facebook status today admitting that although he is studying art history in England he had yet to visit The National Gallery!! Blasphemy.

For the record, one of my absolute favorite things in London is The National Gallery. And I graduated with a major in history, but sometimes think I would have loved to have followed art history academically.

Mj's status made me reminisce of the visits I had to The National Gallery and how I always ended up standing in front of the painting The Ambassadors just staring in awe. I have such a strong pull and interest in this painting I frantically bombarded my friends while abroad with excited cues of

"Have you seen The Ambassadors yet? YOU HAVE TO GO LOOK AT IT, IT'LL BLOW YOUR MIND."

Naturally, they thought I was slightly maniacal. Viewing art and the sentiments that people can attach to certain paintings is such a personal thing that I understand I can't expect others to share in my love. But this painting is mysteriously beautiful and so you should share in my love, right now.

I first learned of this painting by Hans Holbein (the younger) when I took a course on Northern Renaissance Art from an amazing professor I had while in college named Ann Roberts. She was tough, but the shit, and brilliant. She wrote a book on art and nuns, so legit, look it up.

I'll let the painting speak for itself. What's most significant to me though is the crazy floating skull in the middle!! And the mystery behind what the painting really means, the deeper meanings behind the images, as there is much academic debate on this subject.

 More info from The National Gallery website
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/hans-holbein-the-younger-the-ambassadors