This Painting Tricked Everyone With an Impossible Illusion
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- This piece is called The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger. This 16th century portrait painting of Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve is full of amazing detail and symbolism. There’s also a very unique optical illusion. A massive anamorphic skull plastered in the center of the painting. How did he create this illusion? We may never know. One thing’s for sure, this isn’t your average double portrait! Thank you for watching!
#arthistory #art #classicart #fineart
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The skull is an anamorphosis, created with mathematics. I wrote my final essay in high school about maths in paintings, including anamorphosis. It is really interesting! This skull was probably made with a mathematical grid. You can find lots of literature about anamorphosis and the maths behind it in old books from the renessaince. Another kind of anamorphosis uses mirrors, which is even way more complicated. But so interesting!
WOW!! I'd never even heard of such a thing as anamorphosis/math before. Your comment is astounding. I'm going to look into this in the next few days while I'm on vacation. Thanks ever so much for the really interesting comment.
Renaissance paintings were mathematical masterpieces; their precision in balance of perspective has always fascinated me.
You just blew my mind!!! That is so amazing, how art and math can marry in this technique!!
Super interesting!
Thx, J-sope, from a bit of a math-nerd myself (allbeit way past his prime on that score!). But I also wonder if it might have been done with an actual visual rig? Paint a skull onto glass, then project slanting sunlight through it (perhaps via a few lenses) and then simply trace the resultant image onto a parchment laid on the floor. Not to suggest you are wrong, but just to widen the thought-experiment.
I was at an art gallery tonight and was constantly thinking about what you would say about the pieces, look at the details and stuff haha, really had an impact on me
@Patrickkim WTF?
@@catseatcookiessofiagacha5210 hahaha It's the typical BOT Spam comment, although, usually there is a barrage soon following, as in immediately. This is a one off from what I'm used to seeing. Perhaps this BOT has ticked off all the other Bot Spammers 🤣 They do get tiresome, don't they.
Good for you
Man you got so many ups because you’re a bot and that pretty sad.
Yes! This is another aspect of this channel I'm starting to appreciate. Art Deco is slowly (me being slow on the uptake) teaching me how to approach paintings, how to think about context and presentation. Learning more here than a semester's worth of Art History.
The amount of details and symbolism in this painting is insane! And the skull, it’s incredible 😮 It's truly super skilled artist…
There's even the S symbol on the painting
I love how this channel went from less than 1000 views making background content to absolutely breaking the algorithm by tickling everyone’s lizard brain with the most interesting titles possible and ACTUALLY delivering on the content.
You deserve all the success. More power to you
condsider my lizard brain tickled
yup, you explained the viral videos nowadays. they tickled the lizard brain. but instead of making gross contents like those pimple popping videos, they actually delivered good content.
334√=}thlieker
Username checks out lol
Lizard brains would not be interested in Paradise, btw...🙏❤✨
I want to say , i always find your presentations entertaining and highly informative. You dont make the puns , jokes , whatever too long or self absorbed as i find in other videos. I learn a lot from watching your videos and want to thank you for the hard work you put into them.
This is the only art channel like this that I watch and honestly it's because of the way she talks about it.
When I was ten, me and my family had a three day vacation to London. I didn't speak english yet at the time.
We all visited the National Gallery there and when we came in front of the painting we didn't understand what the thing on the floor was. A nice old lady was on the side of the painting and noticed our concerned faces, looking really hard at the thing. She asked my parents if she could show me and my little brother the solution and then pulled gently me next to her. The little ten years old me was excided about the cool skull that appeared. I remember that day with a smile.
I'm happy to see more about that painting again in this video. Also, really nice way to look at all the details!
My father has a coffee table book of a bunch of masterpiece art that I grew up with and now getting to see your breakdowns of these gorgeous pieces I would fawn over in these books is just so amazing thank you!
How cool, now you have a completely new, IN DEPTH perspective of it!! Like getting a new present. Hope you thoroughly enjoy that book now, even more.
EDIT ~ Now that I've re-read your comment I realise this book was part of your childhood. I hope the book is still in your family and you can enjoy it again.
We had a set of encyclopaedias on top of the piano (ah the old days!) in my mum and dad's house. One of them was devoted to great artists When I was young I must have spent hours fascinated by the pictures and the life stories of the artists. Along with visits to galleries it has given me a life long appreciation of painting and sculpture.
I find it so crazy how these old paintings are so realistic
Your voice sounds so young yet you're a wealth of knowledge regarding art and history. Much respect! I very much enjoy your analyses of these beautiful paintings.
I think it's a voiceover.
channels like these typically consist of a team that create and revise the script for each video
one of the rare times I have actually seen the painting in person already and knew the history before seeing your video! your analysis makes me want to go back to the National Gallery and see it again...!
Used to be obsessed with this painting when I was younger, thanks for covering it.
Hans Holbine was such an amazing artist. And through my interest in the Royal Tudor dynasty, I've become familiar with his portraits and sketches and they never cease to astonish me for how beautiful and detailed they are. And thank you for the wonderful videos you post and all of your attention to detail as well. You put a great deal of research into the subject at hand and it shows.
Is that the guy that Six song was about? The guy who did a lot of portraits for royalty.
@@DeathnoteBByes, that's him xd
*Holbein
The crucifix and the illusion skull the broken loom, the details are just spectacular.
Given the wealth of symbols and details in this magnificent painting, I have to smile at your suggestion that Holbein had to rush the portrait of the two men as an explanation for their bland expression. I am sure there must be some deeper meaning. Holbein was such a genius we could spend a full hour trying to decode all the hidden messages, including the skull’s so bizarre aspect. How do you think Holbein managed to paint it? It is really something unique.
It's so perfect that it would require some type of optics. He probably painted the skull normally and then used a camera obscura technique with mirrors angled to stretch and project it onto the canvas, giving it the warped perspective trick.
As French Catholics, I suspect that bland expressions were the Ambassadorial response to what the Church of England meant to the further division of Christendom.
"I am weary, melancholy, the most wearisome weary ambassador..." looks to me like they really DON'T wanna be there.🤷🏻♀️
The deeper meaning is that to see the skull and thus understand the metaphor it represented one had to first bow to the cross physically. That deeper meaning is lost to us today with all our technology. It would have been obvious to everyone in the past when viewing the painting in person.
The first time I saw this piece I saw the skull immediately! I've always been surprised at how many people don't see it.
I love how you always have an understanding of the historical background before you analyze. Very nice video!
Waldemar Januszczak went deep on Hans Holbein in an art documentary I saw on TH-cam. The whole chapter in history, and where Holbein fits into it, is so juicy and dramatic!
Cromwell, Catherine of Aragon, The Boleyns, The Tudor line, the bizarre ideas they had while religious persecution sculpted the facts... I finally think history is fun!
Great Video... THANKS... These dark dives into art are FASCINATING!
And a Big THANK YOU to you too for sharing the info for those of us who thoroughly enjoy art and history. I'm going to mosey on over to that TH-cam channel and learn some new stuff. 💛
@@Julia-uh4li Hey, that's great! If anybody else is wondering exactly which video I was referring to, it's here ~~>
th-cam.com/video/cWGvPjNPo1U/w-d-xo.html
You should watch six the musical
@@SaraRankins. That looked pretty cool. I had no clue it even existed. If it helps certain kids get into history, that's great!
As a former Vocal Music major, you would think I'd DIE for that sort of thing haha Instead, I went so hard on musicals in high school, that I blew my taste buds out for them (so to speak).
Now I stare confused and feel embarrassed haha Bizarre
How wild it must have been for Holbein to capture the images of all these people who passed through the court, many of them condemned to brutal deaths. Capturing someone’s likeness is a really intimate process and I imagine he must have felt some weight of knowing what happened to a lot of his sitters.
Wow. Vietnam style flashbacks. My music teacher in middle school presented this piece to the class and asked if there was anything weird about it.
No one noticed anything, but i raised my hand and asked what the "smudge" was.
Never seen a teacher so happy in my life since lol
I never found any interest in paintings, until I found your channel. It's so great! Please go on and give us all more insight into this incredible stuff.
last week in class we were discussing visual representation of life and death in art, and one girl mentioned The Arnolfini Portrait and "the pregnant woman in the green dress symbolizing life."
I whispered to my colleague that the woman's not pregnant and that I know this because I watched video analyses of that piece. The professor proceeded then to mention this particular painting, The Ambassadors and the skull, and then you posted the analysis of that just a few days later... I'm just slightly creeped out 😂😂
Both of these paintings are very famous and often analyzed, but it's indeed a strange coincidence
I am the furthest person you think would ever be interested in art, but you explore these paintings and interpret them incredibly that I have literally become obsessed and binged all your videos 😂❤ keep up the great work im absolutely loving it
Hi Sara I'm also Sara
@@SaraRankins. 😂😂 hello there Sara
Ya know, I came for the illusion, I stayed for the History lesson, thank you for this! This is such an awesome way to present Art History and World History!
Everything about this channel is top notch: the history, the art, the background, the depth, and of course, your lovely voice is just the cherry on top!
As always, an amazing and intricate video! So much historical details. Love your job, love the edition, the information and the funny references.
You’re so kind, Ana! Thank you 🙏🏻
@@Art_Deco it's just the truth
@@Art_Deco I have a question. When you showed the cross hidden behind the curtain did you notice what looked like a half of a demonic face in the curtain pattern from the area right of it. It's probably just me. I often see something that resembles an animal or face in patterns or objects.
Another great video- thanks! I remember this piece (and the skull) very clearly from a discussion of it in John Berger's "Ways of Seeing" (one of the best books I read in college). He went into detail (sorry) about the ability of oil painting to richly capture all the "stuff" Europeans of this time suddenly had available. I don't remember him getting into all the small bits you uncovered here, and that's something I really appreciate in this video, and in your others. Thank you, and please keep it up!
ways of seeing is one of my fav books
I agree 100%. I saw the TV series "ways of seeing" when it was first broadcast,(1972) and I was so impressed I bought the book. Every chapter is gold. Berger's insights were groundbreaking for the time, and still hold true today. Till I saw that show, I had been brought up on Kenneth Clark's art history TV series "Civilization"(plus having the huge coffee table book of his series) so up till then I had only been exposed to the traditional conservative Academic interpretation of art. Berger's take on art was shockingly radical, and he ruffled many feathers in the Art Establishment. But he was the one who made it acceptable, even essential, to view the art of previous eras free of the lens of centuries-old doctrines and aesthetic correctness. He held those long-accepted interpretations up to scrutiny, tossed them aside and encouraged viewers to trust their instincts. His approach was raw, honest and filled with humanity. Anyone who is interested in art appreciation MUST watch the series ( it's on YT) where in the first few seconds he appears to be cutting a very famous painting out of its hung frame on a gallery wall with a Stanley knife! Gripping stuff -- and every episode is equally as good.
This is one of the coolest paintings ever with the beautiful meticulous detail and the awesome illusion.
Everything about this piece is quite stunning, the intricate details of each trinket, the warped skull at the center, the tired yet friendly aura that Dinteville and Selve give off, and the random Stussy S on that rug's design that really makes me question the origins of that thing.
Your channel has become one of my favorites. You do a really good job of explaining the history, time period, biography, painting and symbolism in a way that people who know nothing about art can understand and appreciate. And I love your sense of humor!
An excellent analysis, thanks! I have known about the skull since childhood but had no idea there were so many other fascinating, symbolic, and exquisitely rendered details.
The detail in the painting is bananas.
4:12 No you can't play them just by looking at the painting, you would need some sort of musical instrument.
True! Lol
@@Art_Deco Then my work here is done. 🙂 Btw, I really enjoy your channel. I am a scientist by my education and self-taught as a fiction writer -- but historical art is one of the gaps in my knowledge, something I wish I knew more about, but there are only so many hours in the day and in life. So I really enjoy and appreciate compressed educational videos like yours, that explain the details I wouldn't pick up on my own.
This is a really interesting painting. The details are very impressive.
Also, I very much appreciate how even when religious symbolism and divisions are portrayed in a painting, you present it in a historical and informative way that feels unbiased and sticks to the facts of the matter. Thank you.
I discovered your channel quite recently. I find it quite jubilant and like the way you use your voice in such a typical manner to share your knowledge. Never boring.
About this painting : Anamorphic technic was not unknown and actually lots of people could device what this "cuttlefish bone" was. There is another anamorphic portrait, King Edward VI, attributed to William Scrots in the National Portrait Library.
Wow! If it was to flex his skill, then he succeeded, cuz the skull is so dope! This is easily one of my favorite paintings now!
This such an amazing painting. In my Art History class, it was presented & explained as a Vanitas painting. You definitely gave more detailed information on the backstory of this piece than my Art History teacher did. It was just another slide we had to memorize...
A picture paints a thousand words. Artists are deep, really deep. Theyre communicating their soul.
How could something with so much detail also be rushed? Everything that was mentioned actually added to the painting (as evident by how good the painting is) and many of the details on the painting would have probably been omitted if it had been rushed.
I had never been as interested in art until I discovered your channel. Thank you for your insight, history and beautiful voice- it’s marvelous!
the details are amazing. the math and music pages, upside down writing on the globe, the floor and table cloth and so much more. wow
I used to take an AP art history class in highschool and I absolutely hated it. Yet here I am and actually interested in this.
There is a song about that painting, written by polish musician and poet Jacek Kaczmarski, titled "Ambassadors"
A globe under the arm - holding a map of the world.
What strategy can be afforded, plans and dreams,
And the insignia of power, sable robe,
Thick hair, and hand's gesture without a twitch.
And in reach of the hand a clock - it's quite early,
Clock's pointer doesn't take away the confidence.
Sight - mirror of the soul - sees everything, even in sleep,
Whom is calmed by a Cipher and a Letter.
They've done so much already, despite being so young,
The wax of history submits to their unmistakable tracks,
It's Georges de Selve - a promising diplomat,
and Jean de Dinteville - a French Ambassador.
It's a discrete splendor - only an echo of dignity,
A Turkish carpet, Italian Lute - a sophisticated sign.
In mute lips absolute taste of victory,
In attitudes - greatness - gained in life,
A heavy curtain supports - with what it hides.
They confidently look ahead, sure of their righteousness,
For Diplomacy controls today everyone who lives,
And they're - the flowers of sixteenth century diplomacy!
They don't know what's pain, plague, or a cold,
Great cravings - the world will always satisfy!
It's Georges de Selve - a promising diplomat,
and Jean de Dinteville - a French Ambassador.
Yet within the lute, a string suddenly breaks,
And the open pages of the book of knowledge turn yellow...
Behind the crucifix errs the hand involuntarily.
The clock's arrow moves faster!
A terrifying shape before them appears with a half-step.
And disturbs the peace - is the artist fooling around?
No, it's no joke! You must look at that shape from the side!
To see clearly that it is a human skull!
They were - and they are no longer, ah - what a loss it is!
What were they called? Who's still aware of it?
Ah! Georges de Selve! A promising diplomat!
Ah! Jean de Dinteville, a French Ambassador!
The details on this painting is ridiculous! How can he paint those notes, those perfect spheres, those details on the map. How 🤯
I was just checking your channel for more interesting art videos and low and behold, you uploaded one 15 minutes ago. Honestly, the way you explain these paintings make them so interesting to hear, keep going!
I love learning about the background items artists use (or did not use, in some cases). Once you laid out what they all were, it made sense, and made it even more interesting to look at.
It’s so much fun to listen to someone who’s passionate about what they’re talking about
I saw this gorgeous painting on a trip to London, and had the great good fortune to have a Gallery guide explain it - thank you for adding to my appreciation and understanding of this work via your excellent video
The best breakdown of this painting I have even come across. Thank you.
It's hard for me to believe how difficult it was for folk to realize it was a skull. It took me only a glance to immediately see it ; perhaps, people then hadn't the visual library of one who grew up in the age of media how we did. I think this is relationship is analogous to comparing the performances of neural networks ; one receiving much training, and the other receiving less.
i remember seeing this painting on a school trip a few years ago and our tour guide telling us all about it. i didn't realise how amazing it was until now. thank you sm for this video
“The Ambassador’s” is one of my all time favorite paintings I learned about in Art History. Momento Mori and the geometrical concepts at that time were really thought provoking.
The person presenting/writing this channel is genuinely so fucking hilarious they’ve made me care about art in a way I’ve never cared before
If i had seen this painting in a museum - or anywhere at all - i would have looked at it for a minute and then moved on.
I would never have noticed all of those intricate details you have highlighted on this video post. This is truly an amazing painting and i thank you for enlightening me about it.!!
I remember seeing this painting in person in London some 20+ years ago and having an expert talk about it. I was so fascinated. So it was such a joy to hear about its story once again after all these years. Amazing channel, thank you. Keep up the wonderful work.
It's amazing how much you can zoom and there're still meaningful details! The skull is nice too.
This man’s an absolute god with them painting skills
No wonder Holbein was in charge of all the royal paintings - he was pretty brilliant. Even if this painting was a rushed job, it's so intricate and detailed and that skull is pure brilliance.
This painting is so amazing. Thanks for revealing all the details to us!
I still remember vividly the moment when our art teacher revealed to us the skull. She made us guess for a long 30 minutes and nobody could figure it out !
Excellent video 👏👏👏
I enjoy your sense of humor. 😂
What did you see originally? Because I can only see a skull - but surely my mind was already aware it was a skull…
We will never have art like this again . Pure talent
One of the greatest paintings ever done.
I love the intricate detail, I could stand and look at this paintings for hours.
Probably the best visual piece of art ever produced
I love this you’ve made me so interested in art history and anyalysis
This was a very talented artist. It's impressive to see the minute details.
Absolutely loving these videos. Art and history weren't interesting to me until your videos and now I'm hooked. Keep them coming!
Paintings like this give me chills with all the symbolism, it's incredible!
Yes! I remember this painting and figuring out that distorted object was, amazing!
I’ve loved Holbein since I was a child…I spent hours studying the details in his work, each one a tiny masterpiece in itself.
Love your videos. The narration (your voice in particular), the humor, the history and facts presented - everything creates perfect blend of entertainment and knowledge.
Insane how these paintings have such fine detail..this era of paintings were described as realist paintings which were mysterious as to how the paintings could be so detailed to where they think the paintings could have been made in another way. Like a camera
One reason I like watching these videos is that the narration is very pleasing to listen to.
Your channel is soooo amazing
Thank you so much!!
The painting was finished in a rush and yet it's so detailed and exquisite! I wonder how the men portrayed here, particularly the man who commissioned the painting felt about it.
OUTSTANDING ANALYSIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As an old codger in my mid 70's I am always surprised how much there is to learn and never really took a detailed look into early paintings. This has also taught me that knowledge does not need to be associated with an older voice.
I like how old renaissance painting are like vectorized, you can just zoom into them endlessly without losing any quality. Vector art before vector art
THANK-YOU!
This painting blew my mind when I first saw (a reproduction of) it, 30 years ago - in class at Uni, from one of my English Lit. Professors (excellent teacher!) in one of our tutorials. He held it up, and just asked us what we saw .... my 1st guess was 'a paint brush' lol But after 5-10 minutes I saw it (about ½ of us spotted it.)
I've never forgotten it, and always been mind blown by the sheer skill of it. I will NEVER understand how he pulled off that perspective, and distortion, 500 years ago!
Thank-you so much for highlighting this painting!!
💜
If the two men were removed from the piece, everyone would classify this as a vanitas style piece. So with them left in does it make the piece a vanitas portrait combination?
Here's what I think: Artists get board with their ability to create a painting once they've mastered the technique. So rather than just paint another portrait, they add a lot of personal or hidden info in their paintings. They have put in the time, but instead of painting just what they see they want to paint a meaning, or message in their work. I could go on, but I won't. Thank you so much. Do you take requests. There are some paintings I have found that have meanings and hidden stuff that isn't mentioned and probably not noticed, by most, but I'll bet you can interpet it.
Good point Charles :)
i loved this painting as a kid
I’ve always seen the skull, and whenever I see this painting I love just how surreal it is and makes me feel. It looks like some old computer render. I love this painting.
These are amazing! Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a delightful way.
This is amazing! Thank you for making and sharing it!
I know this is a visual art channel but just a quick note about words. IMPOSSIBLE means not-possible. Can't be done.
Since the illusion was accomplished it was entirely possible, all along. _Remarkable, challenging, stunning, excellent._ All perfectly good superlatives for this work.
Other than that, well done on another -impossible- superlative video. ;)
I have never seen such beautifully detailed masterpiece
This is a great one. So much symbolism that we don’t even see now, but everyone knew then.
I remember the first time I saw this painting in an art book. I might’ve been in middle school. I instantly fell in love with it.
Art Deco, I cannot tell you how much I love your videos. Overall they are very informative (educational), engaging and fun to watch. But, ....BUT,.... your narration is the best! Love your voice modulation and how you pepper your dialogue with very well placed sarcasm. You are so clever and witty. I wish you would do physics material as well. (another favorite of mine).
One of the most fascinating paintings I've seen
This is the diamatetric opposite of clickbait titles. I was blown away! Subscribed! Thank you
Does this channel have an IG account?
Brilliant video. I love this painting and have seen it twice. It is astounding.
Until I started watching your vids ..I always thought old paintings were boring...I now look at them with a new light 😁
The voice explaining this amazing piece did a wonderful job, the part she said "Take a second to see this detail" gives me satisfaction. 🙂
Interesting video, thanks for sharing.
Wow, ive never been so captivated about painting until this.
I find it hard to believe the skull was such a mystery for so long. I think it very clear to me when I first saw this painting years ago
This is my favourite painting of all time!
A brilliant artist. I would be proud to have known this artist..❤
The subscription was so earned and worth it, easily one of the best channels Ive subscribed to
You definitely earned a like and subscriber.
More info than my favorite art teacher and as much info as my art
Another great vid, thankyou so much!