Despite his status as the most pop playwright of all time , there ’s still a lot we do n’t know about William Shakespeare . Questions have been raised about when exactly the bardwas bornand even whether or not hereally was the authorof the body of body of work that ’s attributed to him . According to experts , the iconic image of the man with a well - coiffed mustache and receding hairline is also in conflict . Now , the cleanup of one of Shakespeare ’s well - known portrait might allow a clearer image of what the writer looked like in material sprightliness .
AsThe Art Newspaperreports , the National Portrait Gallery in London is considering a marriage proposal to clean house the Chandos portrait , one of the most far-famed pieces in their collection . The portrait dates back to between 1600 and 1610 and is considered to be the most accurate surviving picture of William Shakespeare . The portrait was allegedly painted by a friend of Shakespeare ’s by the name of John Taylor . Not much else is known about Taylor ’s identity , and there ’s stilldisagreementover whether or not he was the real artist . Even with the precarious grounds , the Chandos portrait is still our most likely candidate for a portrait the bard himself in reality sat for .
Attempts to houseclean the portrayal have been made in the past tense with footling luck . The portrayal bears abrasions from when it was cleaned in the 17th and 18th one C . Retouches made over the class have also alter the portrait ’s true appearance . The subject ’s beard and hair have been lengthened , and the overlaying varnish has discolor with long time to take on a yellow hue . Just a flimsy stratum of the original key , which was guardedly brushed on to start with , remains .
The Chandos portrayal has been with the National Portrait Gallery since they were founded in 1856 , and no substantial efforts to bushel it have been made since . If the gallery ’s trustee decide to go onward with the cleaning , it could let out a more close depiction of Shakespeare underneath — or it could level to a different sitter all together . A decision to move forward is expected to come next year , and before then the portrayal will be lend out to the Royal Shakespeare Company for showing at the Swan Theater .
[ h / tThe Art Newspaper ]
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