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The Ambassadors' Secret: Holbein and the World of the Renaissance (Paperback)

by John North (Author)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Phoenix; New edition edition (2 Sep 2004)
Language English
ISBN-10: 184212661X
ISBN-13: 978-1842126615
Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.6 cm

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 85,488 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories:

#33 in	Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Architecture > By Chronology > Byzantine to Gothic: 500-1400
#45 in	Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Styles & Movements > Renaissance > Painting
#77 in	Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Architecture > By Chronology > Renaissance to Mannerism: 1400-1600

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Review

We've done a comprehensive paperback mailout for this title, sending not only to our targeted list of paperback specialist reviewers on the nationals and locals but also to arts and features editors, art crtics and lots of arts magazines and arts association magazines. More news soon! We're also trying to confirm a feature with the Oxford Times, where the author lives.

FRANK WHITFORD, Sunday Times, 20 Jan. 2002

... he provides such a compelling interpretation of an exceptionally enigmatic picture that it makes all earlier interpretations redundant.. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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	84% buy the item featured on this page: The Ambassadors' Secret: Holbein and the World of the Renaissance 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
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	4% buy Holbein's Ambassadors: Making and Meaning (Making & Meaning) �16.10
	4% buy Hans Holbein: Portrait of an Unknown Man 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �9.09

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare treat, 18 April 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ambassadors' Secret: Holbein and the World of the Renaissance (Hardcover)

Rarely have I read a book such as this. North draws on the world of Renaissance Europe to unveil the meaning of Holbein's The Ambassadors. The secrets of the painting lie in the astronomical instruments, the location of the subjects, the anamorphic skull, a half-hidden crucifix, an obscured pavement, a curtain and the dress, identity and bearing of the two human ambassadorial subjects, locating them all firmly on the cusp of Ann Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon in Tudor London. North's conclusions are persuasive, some more than others, and always intriguing. This is an enriching book, leaving the painting's aesthetics to others, but demonstrating the painting's aesthetic appeal in the purely intellectual and symbolic meaning of this work of art.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like Holbein, beautifully detailed, 2 Jan 2008

By	Withnail67 (UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This is an exquisite book that performs the rare feat of taking a masterpiece and providing the viewer with new perspectives on its genius. North places Holbien's portrait of two French ambassadors almost to the day at a turning point of English history, as Henry VIII rejects papal authority and marries Anne Boleyn. In addition to this, he provides an exacting and fluent reading of the portait's scientific, artistic, intellectual and occult significance. This single picture therefore becomes and embodiment of the unique synthesis between science, art, reigion and magic in the 16th century European intellect.

This is art history as best seller - you might not believe that descriptions of 16th century astronomical instruments will have you turning the pages for more - but they will. Like Holbein's picture, this book's details are carefully suggested and tantalisngly revealed. I would recommend it for anyone interested in art history and the intellectual life of an incredible century.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, 10 July 2009

By	N. DAVIES (Manchester, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Holbein's Ambassadors has always been an intriguing painting and here North applies his profound intellect to analyse and reveal the meaning and profound intelligence that lies within. Ostensibly a painting of two men on either side of a two-tier table of random artefacts, every single feature of the painting is revealed to have deep and inter-dependendent meaning. Not revealing "almost to the day", but precisely to the day and time that the painting comprehensively documents.

It is remarkable that it has taken almost 500 years to uncover the depth of meaning in this painting, rather like the works of Shakespeare continuing to reveal its further depths.

The only weakness in the book is the author tending towards supposition in its latter part, having previously established the facts, with liberal use of should/would/could/likely. But this does not detract from this book being the most important analysis of this painting that there has ever been.

On future visits to the National Gallery I will look at this painting from an entirely different perspective than the curious and less well informed one that I had before.

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