Hans Holbein - The Ambassadors

The Ambassadors, Hans Holbein
http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/asset-viewer/the-ambassadors/bQEWbLB26MG1LA?projectId=art-project


The painting portrays two wealthy men, we know this from each element in the painting. For example, the fact that they have their hands included in the painting shows that they are wealthy because painters charged more to paint the subject's hands because they are difficult to paint. In addition, the clothes that they are wearing suggests that they are wealthy. The objects on the shelves all suggest that these men are well educated and consists of globes, instruments and books.

"On the left is Jean de Dinteville, aged 29, French ambassador to England in 1533. To the right stands his friend, Georges de Selve, aged 25, bishop of Lavaur, who acted on several occasions as ambassador to the Emperor, the Venetian Republic and the Holy See" - (http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/project/art-project#!asset-viewer:l.id=bQEWbLB26MG1LA&projectId=art-project&urlStub=The%20Ambassadors)

When seen from a certain angle, the skull doesn't appear distorted, it appears 3D. It is known as an anamorphosis.







Liverpool 800, The Singh Twins
http://www.singhtwins.co.uk/Album_Painting-Series/Pages/Single_paintings.html#9


This painting is divided horizontally in half, in the bottom half of the painting the twins have depicted events of Liverpool's history that stood out to them personally as they found it very difficult to portray every single event in the history of Liverpool. For example, the man and the woman in the middle at the bottom are shown fishing which represents Liverpool's early days as a small farm and fishing settlement.

The top half of the image represents Liverpool's modern identity in the form of a coat of arms structure. On the right of the coat of arms you can see a Liverpool FC scarf and to the left you can see the entrance to 'The Beatles Story'. These are two things that are a main part of the city.