People and Stories of Canada to 1867 - Portage & Main Press

© Portage & Main Press 2007. May be reproduced for classroom use.
Sample Pages
Looking at Pictures and Illustrations
ACTIVITY 1: The Ambassadors, a painting by Hans Holbein, the Younger (figure 4.9)
Background Information:
The Ambassadors is a portrait of two Frenchmen – Jean de Dinteville (left) was the
ambassador to the court of King Henry VIII. To his right is his best friend, Georges de Selve,
a cleric, who became the Bishop of Lavaur the year after the painting was made.
Objects in the Painting:
Top shelf, from left to right: celestial or star globe, cylinder sundial, guardant, polyhedral
sundial, and torquetum or medieval astronomical instrument
Lower shelf, from left to right: regular (Earth) globe, math book with a setsquare, pair of
dividers, lute, music book, flutes
!
The top shelf holds “heavenly” interests, and the lower shelf holds
“earthly” interests.
Front of painting: skull
!
Holbein painted the skull object in a distorted way. The original painting was nearly life
size and hung just to the left of a doorway. A person going out the door could glance
sideways at the painting and see what the object actually was.
Assignment:
Have students study the reproduction of the painting The Ambassadors, on page 59
of the textbook. You can also direct students to go to the following website:
.
Questions to Encourage Discussion:
The people
• Study the two men in the picture. Describe what each man is wearing.
• What are the main differences in their clothing?
• Which man do you think is more important? Why do you think this?
• Which of the two men is wealthier? How can you tell?
• What is each man holding in his hand?
• Which man do you think you would like better?
Portage & Main Press
BLM 4-9 127