The Ambassadors (Holbein) viewer must approach the painting from high on the right side, or low on the left side, to see the form as an accurate rendering of a human skull. While the skull is evidently intended as a "vanitas" or "memento mori", it is unclear why Holbein gave it such prominence in this painting. One possibility is that this painting represents three levels: the heavens (as portrayed by the astrolabe and other objects on the upper shelf), the living world (as evidenced by books and a musical instrument on the lower shelf), and death (signified by the skull). It has also
Love at the Bottom of the Sea first release with Merge since 1999's "69 Love Songs". After releasing three albums relatively free of synthesizers as part of a "no-synth trilogy" (2004's "i", 2008's "Distortion", and 2010's "Realism"), "Love at the Bottom of the Sea" features the blend of acoustic and synthesized instruments that the band was known for in the 1990s. Stephin Merritt claims he took a fresh approach with the instrumentation, stating "Most of the synthesizers on the record didn't exist when we were last using synthesizers." All of the tracks on the album are less than three minutes long. "Love at the Bottom of the