On Monday, a group of Shakespeare scholars and art historians unveiled what is believed to be a recently discovered portrait of legendary 17th century poet and writer, William Shakespeare. The painting was found in the private collection belonging to the Cobbes family, an aristocractic Anglo-Irish family who inherited the painting from Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, almost 300 years ago.
Until the Cobbes' portrait was displayed, the consensus amongst Shakespeare scholars was that the most authentic images of Shakespeare were a woodcut engraving by Martin Droeshout made in 1632, and a marble bust that has been displayed in Stratford church since the 1620s.
This new image of Shakespeare is significant for a couple reasons. For one, if it is authentic, it will be the only known portrait made of Shakespeare when he was alive. Secondly, it completely changes the commonly accepted image of Shakespeare. The previous representations of him portrayed him as a balding, nerdy looking individual. This portrait presents him with a vitality and appeal never visually attributed to Shakespeare, while at the same time re-opening the debate regarding Shakespeare's sexual orientation:
"In a handout for reporters, the trust said the portrait might open a new era in Shakespeare scholarship, giving fresh momentum, among other things, to generations of speculation as to whether the playwright, a married man with three children, was bisexual. Until now, that suggestion has hinged mostly on dedications to the Earl of Southampton that Shakespeare wrote with some of his best-loved poems and some of the sensual passages in his poems and plays, particularly his sonnets, most of which, the London scholars said, are centered on expressions of love and desire for men, not women." (Burns, NYTimes.com)
However, there is not a unanimous opinion that the figure in the portrait is Shakespeare. Some scholars point to the figure's aristocratic dress, along with the Elizabethan style of portraiture which was more about idealizing a figure and glossing over their imperfections, as evidence that calls the portrait's authenticity into question.
[Whatever the authenticity of this recently-unearthed image, the fact that it contributes to the body of Shakespeare scholarship and stimulates intellectual conversation is a positive. I just think it's amazing that we only have (potentially) one portrait of such a renowned poet, playwright and author. If this portrait is deemed authentic, it will enrich our understanding of one of history's literary giants. Always a good look.]
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