The Ambassadors

Holbein painted The Ambassadors in London in 1533, when he was working as court painter to Henry VIII. Jean de Dinteville was the French ambassador to England, in London for a difficult diplomatic mission during the early stages of Henry VIII's break with Rome. Georges de Selve, his friend and fellow diplomat, visited London briefly in April–May 1533 — the probable time of the sitting.

The painting is dated by the instruments on the shelves: the celestial globe is set to a specific star configuration corresponding to 11 April 1533. The skull in the foreground is an anamorphic projection — visible as a recognisable skull only when the painting is viewed from below and to the right, close to the floor. This was the intended viewing position as the painting was hung on a wall beside a staircase.