Holbein's mistake: the Ambassadors: John Goodman reflects on the observations of an 18th century Frenchman on the art of diplomacy.

• Author: Goodman, John

Henry Kissinger's recent World Order; like Holbein's popular Renaissance painting, expresses the realpolitik perhaps demanded of world powers, while Harold Nicolson's older Diplomacy favours British pragmatism, at least for former world powers. Neither book finds it easy to say much of a general nature about what diplomacy is and how diplomats do it. In this regard Francois de Callieres's 18th century book The Art of Diplomacy arguably says it all for countries of all sizes, including New Zealand and other Pacific states. The book, a common sense work by a practical diplomat, is a forgotten gem and deserves revival; comparison with Holbein's polished image shows why.

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Paintings may serve to illuminate history but the process is reversible, following Pierre Bonnard's view that art is not a matter of painting life but of making paintings live. The adage is cautionary for historians keen to use paintings as evidence for historical themes. Paintings can bring history alive but history may retaliate, giving the lie to the painting.

Holbein's The Ambassadors (www.nationalgallery.com), a popular image of Renaissance diplomacy, may be a case in point. Historians can see portraits as a category of art in the service of political power as individuals shape images to further personal and social prestige. At first blush, Holbein's picture may seem a good example of the genre. Two manicured and sveltely accoutred diplomats are set against an array of objects pertaining to contemporary arts, earth sciences and cosmography. Their Latinate eyes are impassive--just the hint of a smile in the spirit of Machiavelli, Holbein's near contemporary. Stance, clothing and finery symbolise a range of courtly values--pride, power, intellectual, moral and perhaps spiritual superiority--as well as courtly aesthetic tastes. The charmed circle likely to view such paintings enjoyed looking at miscellaneous objects culled from the ever-widening horizons of the times, and would have correctly understood the shimmering anamorphic death skull spread across the foreground. Despite the reminder of vita brevia, however, the picture presents a thematic image of courtly values and norms, a privileged and cosseted existence of consumption supported by imperial masters. But was that true?

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The practical diplomat, more accustomed to looking at the reverse side of images got up for display, may give more credence to contemporary documents on the professional circumstances of Renaissance diplomats. These reveal a messier situation. They are, to be sure, variable and incomplete but efforts to survey them have been made. Garrett Mattingly's Renaissance Diplomacy is a classic, which conveniently reviews the history and the most famous historical 'texts' on diplomatic values and principles from Vittoria to Grotius. A book sharper than any is Francis de Callieres's De la Maniere de Negocier avec des Souverains (translated as The Art of Diplomacy). This book, published in 1716, sums up the old texts and, drawing on de Callieres's own experience as a diplomat, covers most everything of a general nature that can be said on the subject. Even later books by practitioners, such as Harold Nicolson's 1950 Diplomacy or Henry Kissinger's 2014 World Order, or modern schools for diplomats find it hard to say more in general terms than de Callieres. These historical sources, which enable the ordinary observer to make a few comments on Holbein, will likely come as a disappointment to those looking for corroboration of impressions perhaps given by Holbein.

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Dubious support

First, did imperial masters support? By the 16th century an ambassadorship had become a good career move at court but not all career courtiers were interested: the job appealed to those with curiosity about the world and inquiring minds. These qualities they had to have, for their royal masters or mistresses under-paid, paid in arrears or did not pay them at all. M.F.S. Hervey's book on Holbein, unsurpassed despite floods of monographs, sets out factual background to the two men, showing it was far from a bed of roses, even for them. (1) Mattingly does not cover the two Frenchmen specifically but he does review many others from the period, whom he regards as typical. He mentions, for example, De Vera, a Spanish ambassador in London for over twenty years but unrewarded for his unremitting efforts to further Philip II's ambitions: he died a bankrupt, still owed most of the emoluments Philip had agreed to pay him. Mattingly claims that, over the period he covers, only one ambassador anywhere came out on the positive side of the ledger. Ambassadors could also become severely indebted. One in London...