How does art mirror society?

One of the paintings during the Renaissance was " The Ambassadors"by a German artist, Hans Holbein which appeared in 1533. It was painted in (made by) oil on oak. Its dimensions were 207cmx209.5cm.Actually,it is a double portrait which portrays still life of several meticulously rendered objects . It is a painting which depicts a world of power and politics,great wealth and new horizons,ambition and discord for the Renaissance.This painting shows two men,one of whom is shown as the French Ambassador to England Jean De Dintevelle. The year is 1533. On his left is George De Selve-the Bishop of Lauver dressed in velvets and silk.They were both wealthy,educated and powerful men.

This painting mirrors that the Renaissance was a time of economic trade and world exploration.The tall layered table between the men carries many different objects of the time. On the lower portion ,it shows a lute with a broken string , a hymn book and a globe. The book next to the hymn book was a very important book for merchants to calculate profit and loss.We know that the Renaissance was a time of trade and finance. There wouldn't be the culture without the trade and finance. We can also see a globe behind the book which showed that people in those days used to explore the world.It also indicates that global trade flourished in those days .The objects on upper shelf give a hint at how these explorations came to be. There's a celestial globe,quadrant,torquetum(instruments used at sea as navigational aids) and sundial. These instruments made voyages for longer durations possible and brought explorers in contact with prevailing civilizations,in additon to imparting them advanced navigational skills. Most objects were invented by medieval Arab and Jewish astronomers before coming westward.The Ambassador also seems to hold a telescope. Telescope was an instrument by which Galileo had discoverd that the sun was the center of universe.This discovery had changed religious beliefs and the whole new era of secularization had started.More scientific objects were made and improved in the Renaissance period.All these developments reflect that the renaissance was a period of awakening in which new knowledge and openings were made.

This painting by Holbien adequetly reflects the moods of the society then.How these people were drifting towards secularization,world exploration and innovation in this era.