Consider Holbein's The Ambassadors. This painting highlights human achievement and institutions as personified by these men and the symbolic instruments on the shelves behind them. Identify the subjects and discuss the symbolism of the objects in this work. How does the distorted object in the foreground transform the painting's meaning?
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Holbein's mastery of oil paint rendered detailed objects that are mainly symbolic. The two figures, both ambassadors, flank a table richly laden with objects symbolizing the four humanist sciences of music, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy. The table cover, an imported Islamic rug, speaks of contacts with the wider world. A globe reminds us of the age of Renaissance exploration and discovery. A broken lute string and a hymnal page by Martin Luther symbolize the discord generated by Luther's accusations. The most intriguing element in the painting is the anamorphic foreground shape. Meant to be a visual puzzle, it represents a memento mori, a remembrance of mortality, and employs a skewed skull to suggest death cuts across life, taking us by surprise.
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We usually hear three or more simultaneous sounds as a
A. rhythm. B. chord. C. timbre. D. all of these.
In this selection, the music for the devil is interesting because?
a) his character is expected to improvise all of his part b) his character appears but is not to sing or speak c) his music is to be accompanied by musical instruments throughout d) his character is given no music, rather the part calls for shouting
The medieval Franks differed from other Germanic tribes in that they
a) were Catholic Christians. b) were peaceful. c) were ruled by a king. d) practiced feudalism
The percentage of listeners or households tuned in to a given program, relative to all program listening in that time period, is called audience _____. This metric is distinct from the rating, which measures the percentage of all potential listeners who are tuned to a program.
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