The Ambassadors
Hans Holbein the Younger
A double portrait with a skull that emerges from an oblique view.
EXPLORE THE DEMONSTRATION
A crouching figure echoes a stone hand holding an egg and flower.
Open the official reproduction. Compare Narcissus at the left with the pale hand at the right. Follow the head and egg, then compare the bent limbs with the fingers.
View the painting at the Dalí Foundation ↗Illusions in painting / 1937
Metamorphosis of Narcissus
A crouching figure echoes a stone hand holding an egg and flower.
TRY THIS
Open the official reproduction. Compare Narcissus at the left with the pale hand at the right. Follow the head and egg, then compare the bent limbs with the fingers.
FOLLOW THE SOURCES
History, evidence & image credit
Frequently asked questions
What is Metamorphosis of Narcissus?
A crouching figure echoes a stone hand holding an egg and flower.
What should I look for in Metamorphosis of Narcissus?
Open the official reproduction. Compare Narcissus at the left with the pale hand at the right. Follow the head and egg, then compare the bent limbs with the fingers.
What explains Metamorphosis of Narcissus?
Matching outlines connect the two forms. Narcissus’s head corresponds to the egg, while his crouched body echoes the fingers and hand. Their visual resemblance turns the myth’s transformation into a comparison you can trace.
Another way to see it
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