Memento Mori- remember we are mortal . . .

Cvv 32 54

I’ll leave that part there above since apparently my Chinchilla, General Lee, wants to help

me write this . . . Phew, I thought those weekly responses were bad- now I have to do a blog (it’s

kinda weird)- good idea, I guess, but still . . . kinda weird. Let’s see . . . Han Holbein’s The

Ambassadors . . .

Well first . . . the skull is a reflection, but a reflection of what? The artist? The noble? The

priest? The crucifix? It’s a bit early for the god is dead theme and Holbein was religious[1] . . .

Another interesting thing, mathematicians seem to really like this painting . . . apparently . . .

most things have a 27 degree angle. 9 is the trinity times itself and 27 divided by nine equals the

trinity.[2] The lute has a broken string which has been used as a symbol for death and discord.

[3] The skull divided the two friends perhaps showing how the advances in science are against

the church (or despite having knowledge (be it scientific or religious) we still die)).[4] The

crucifix is partly hidden perhaps to show that even if we ignore God- He still sees . . .

Next . . . Mr. Kilgore said to excel in the court one had to be more than just bookish (for

example one had to know how to dance) which makes sense since the term Renaissance Man

means to excel at everything (no matter what it is) and I haven’t really heard the term

Renaissance Woman which I guess shows the “uninvolvement” (don’t know about this because I

haven’t read a lot of Renaissance lit) of women during this time.

[1] The fact that Holbein was religious taken from: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/school/fine-art/arttheoryessaywritingguide/analysisofhansholbeinstheambassadors.html
[2] Mathmatical theory taken from: http://www.amazon.com/Ambassadors-Secret-Holbein-World-Renaissance/dp/1852854472
[3] Symbolism taken from: http://arthistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/symbols_in_art
[4] The fact that the two in the portrait were friends taken from the same website as the first footnote.