Painting of the Month

'The Ambassadors': Terrestrial Globe

The terrestrial globe, with its wooden handle, is similar to globes produced in Germany around this time. Maps of the world were published in gores (shaped sections) that could be applied to spheres to form globes.

The globe depicts Europe and much of Africa (including mountain ridges), India and some of the New World.

Some of the inscriptions, 'Baris' for Paris and 'Pritannia' for Brittany for example, are thought to reflect Holbein's own pronunciation of these names. This globe has also been personalised - in the centre of France is Polisy, the location of de Dinteville's château where the painting would hang.


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