Hans Holbein

Hans Holbein the Younger's paintings give faces, fabrics, and objects a precise and carefully arranged presence. The Ambassadors (1533) places Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve among books, globes, and musical instruments; its distorted skull becomes recognizable from an oblique angle as a reminder of mortality. His portrait of Christina of Denmark served Henry VIII's marriage negotiations, giving likeness and dress a specific role within Tudor court life.