Knowing Holbein’s objects: An object-oriented-ontology analysis of the ambassadors

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

Abstract

This article investigates the tenet of Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) that art, like philosophy, is a form of cognition different from literal knowledge by applying key OOO concepts to the analysis of the Renaissance painting The Ambassadors (1533), a double portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98–1543). The Ambassadors is found to exemplify the key principles of OOO in its treatment of objects and their relationships. Through an OOO lens, the painting becomes not merely a literal representation of the subjects and their possessions, but a dynamic interplay of real and sensual qualities that exceeds any straightforward paraphrase. The figures and objects in the work are not simply passive symbols, but active agents that withdraw from direct access, preserving their autonomy and inviting the viewer’s participatory engagement. Holbein’s masterpiece comes alive precisely by troubling its own representational coherence, drawing the viewer into an uncanny encounter with the withdrawn depths of objects. By reading The Ambassadors through an object-oriented framework, the painting exemplifies art’s capacity to operate as a non-literal form of cognition, irreducible to mere symbolic codes or propositional knowledge. Copyright © 2024 the author(s), published by De Gruyter.

Original languageEnglish
Article number20240032
JournalOpen Philosophy
Volume7
Early online dateSept 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Citation

Poposki. Z. (2024). Knowing Holbein’s objects: An object-oriented-ontology analysis of the ambassadors. Open Philosophy, 7, Article 20240032. https://doi.org/10.1515/opphil-2024-0032

Keywords

  • Object-Oriented Ontology
  • Renaissance art
  • Hans Holbein the Younger
  • Art
  • Knowledge

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