The Ambassadors' Secret : Holbein and the World of the Renaissance

THE AMBASSADORS' SECRET is a radical reinterpretation of one of the world's most famous paintings. Holbein's celebrated portrait of two French diplomats at the court of Henry VIII has usually been linked to the political and religious unrest of the day. John North shows that the painting has a very different, and previously undetected, central theme and many other meanings. Far from being random, the objects in 'The Ambassadors' are deliberately, and very accurately, placed. In revealing exactly what they, and the painting, mean, THE AMBASSADORS' SECRET opens a remarkable window on the world of the Renaissance. 'Truly sensational ...North's explanation of what The Ambassadors' Secret means is as exciting as a classic whodunnit, and puts every previous account in the shade' Frank Whitford, Sunday Times

The Ambassadors--the famous portrait of two diplomats visiting Henry VIII's court in London 1533--has long been celebrated by art historians. Traditionally the painting has been seen as representing the political and religious unrest of its day. Now, historian John North, author of Stonehenge: A New Interpretation of Prehistoric Man and the Cosmos, once again uses his investigative skills to reinterpret history. In this radical reinterpretation of the painting John North shows that the work has a very different and previously undetected, central theme. Far from being random, the objects are very deliberately placed. Part international riddle, part art history, and part French history, the book opens a remarkable window on the world of the Renaissance.