Holbein's "Ambassadors", the picture and the men : an historical study

The book opens a vivid portal into Hans Holbein’s celebrated portrait, inviting listeners to meet the two enigmatic gentlemen and the learned circle they represent. Drawing on newly published archival letters, forgotten legal records and fresh manuscript evidence, it reconstructs the identities of the sitters and places the work firmly within the political and cultural currents of early‑sixteenth‑century France.

Beyond biography, the study follows the painting’s abundance of symbols—a celestial globe, a meticulously rendered floor mosaic, and assorted scientific instruments—to reveal how art, mathematics and architecture intertwined in the era’s worldview. Illustrated with nineteen detailed plates and two facsimiles, the narrative blends scholarly rigor with accessible storytelling, allowing listeners to appreciate both the visual splendor and the rich historical tapestry woven into Holbein’s masterpiece.