What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? — Mark 8:36,37
I stumbled across this painting a while back, and to me, it is an epitome of the old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
“The Ambassadors,” painted in 1553, is a portrait by a British artist named Hans Holbein. It currently hangs in the National Gallery in London (and our very own Heather actually saw the painting on her trip there!).
The painting (click for a larger view) is rather unremarkable in that it is like any other painting in its genre — except for the one obvious, strange object in the foreground (we’ll come back to this). Portraits like these were typically commissioned by a prominent figure who hired artists to mark special occasions, typically of dignitaries. Remember they didn’t have digital cameras, so it is quite painstaking to produce one of these (these are life-size paintings) — only on special occasions, a painting such as this would be commissioned.
The painting marks a visit by two French ambassadors to England, and it is meant to tell a story about the two men. From the symbolic objects in the middle of the painting (musical instruments, books, the globe, the “latest” scientific instruments, fine Oriental rug, etc., etc.), we are meant to understand that these men are no ordinary men but are well-educated and highly successful and accomplished in their endeavors–the “trophies” tell the story. Also from their clothing and the scepter (a symbol of authority) in the right hand, we are meant to understand that these are men who are wealthy and powerful.
It is interesting that we in the modern era can not only understand but identify with this image of success, painted some five centuries ago. It tells me that our values and ideas of a successful life as a society have not changed much since some five centuries ago; and these values cut across cultures regardless of our background.
What is interesting about the painting is that in addition to being a typical “tribute” painting, the artist added in a clever commentary of his own on the two men. Take a look again.
So what is that “surfboard”-thing in the foreground? Although it is an obvious focus of the painting that screams for the viewer’s attention, the two men appear to be completely ignoring it. To “decode” the image, one would need to stand close to the painting and look at the object at the angle along the length of the “surfboard” (try it first, and if you still don’t see it, see the wiki article) — it is an image of a skull, a symbol of death, “hidden” in plain view (the technique itself is pretty cool).
The commentary seems to be that although the two men have extraordinary accomplishments, they are ignoring one important, obvious issue — their own mortality. How about you?
A message by the artist seems to be that in light of death, all that we accomplish is meaningless. But wait — there is another symbol hidden in plain view — at the upper left corner of the painting (see below), we see the form of Christ on the cross. The overall message of the painting is that the two men, though highly accomplished and decorated, need to pursue Jesus because their worldly pursuits are ultimately meaningless if they would pay attention what lies before them. Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection hold the keys to what the two men are truly pursuing — the answer is so close to them.
Like all great art, this painting causes us to pause and think…
What trophies are you pursuing today, and why?
If Holbein were to paint a portrait about you today, where would the cross be?
What good is it to gain the whole world yet forfeit one’s soul?
Jesus holds the answers.
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