The Ambassadors is a painting made in 1533 by Hans Holbein the Younger. This particular painting was painted using oil on canvas. The painting itself embodies all of the elements that defines the Renaissance. This element of change that was happening in the Renaissance was captured through the painting. This element reinforced the Renaissance in terms of art and secular knowledge such as of exploring the world. The art technique that was exploited in this painting uncovers the progress of art in the Renaissance. Perspective was a technique that was only formally introduced in the Renaissance. This was a technique to represent volume and spatial relationship to a flat surface. The use of foreground was important to the artist as it direct the viewer’s attention to the prominent part of the painting that the artist wants to show. In this case, the foreground was the two ambassadors as they were painted bigger in shape. Sfumato and Chiaroscuro were created by Renaissance artists to add gradation of tone, color, light and shade which creates a more realistic painting. This can be seen from the painting above by the curtains, clothes, etc. Holbein uses symbols to show the secular knowledge of exploration in the Renaissance. People of the Renaissance started to explore the world and therefore started to create and used scientific instruments to guide them. The scientific instruments that were used were shown in the painting. There are two globes and other instruments that contribute to the Renaissance’s progress towards exploring. The advancement of technology and the art of exploring were represented in the painting that greatly expressed how the Italian Renaissance evolved. Change filled the atmosphere of life during the Renaissance. Change not only in terms of art and exploration but other aspect such as trading and banking. This driving force flourished due to people taking an interest of exploring the outside world. Since people began exploring foreign lands, they started to inquire ideas and traded with people from the foreign lands. These ideas circulate and spread in Italy which leads to further advancement of Italy. Each aspects and elements within this art described the occasions of change in the Renaissance which we can recognize how this advancement of the Renaissance was further developed into what we know today.
