It has not been possible to determine with certainty who painted the portrait, or whether it really depicts Shakespeare. However, the National Portrait Gallery believes that it probably does depict the writer.
Engraved portrait of Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout, on the title page of the first publication of his works, the First Folio, shows distinct similarities when compared to the oil painting.The "Soest Portrait" of Shakespeare, painted c. 1667The "Chesterfield Portrait" of Shakespeare, painted c. 1679
It has been claimed that Shakespeare's friend Richard Burbage (1567–1619) painted the Chandos portrait,[3] but the first known reference to the painting is in a note written in 1719 by George Vertue, who states that it was painted by John Taylor, a respected member of the Painter-Stainers' company who may also have been the same John Taylor who acted with the Children of Paul's.[4] Vertue refers to Taylor as an actor and painter and as Shakespeare's "intimate friend". Katherine Duncan-Jones argues that 'John Taylor' could have been a misreading of what had originally been "Jo: Taylor"; she suggests that this may refer to the actor Joseph Taylor, who was a protégé of the older Shakespeare.[5]
Vertue also states that before the Duke of Chandos acquired it, the portrait was owned by Shakespeare's possible godson, William Davenant (1606–1668),[3][4] who, according to the gossip chronicler John Aubrey, claimed to be the playwright's illegitimate son.[6] He also states that it was left to Davenant in Taylor's will and that it was bought by Thomas Betterton from Davenant and then sold to the lawyer Robert Keck, a collector of Shakespeare memorabilia.[2][3]
A contemporary image of the playwright is the engraving in the posthumously published First Folio of 1623, which was created by Martin Droeshout and was probably commissioned by Shakespeare's friends and family. It is considered likely that the Droeshout engraving is a reasonably accurate likeness of Shakespeare because of its acceptance by these close associates and that contemporaries such as Ben Jonson praised it at the time of the publication.[8] Since the man in the Chandos portrait resembles the one in the Droeshout engraving, the similarity lends an indirect legitimacy to the oil painting. A further indication of legitimacy is the fact that the Chandos portrait was the inspiration for two posthumous portraits of Shakespeare, one by Gerard Soest and another, grander one, known as the "Chesterfield portrait" after a former owner of that painting.[2] These were probably painted in the 1660s or 1670s, within living memory of Shakespeare. The Chesterfield portrait is held by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon.
In 2006, art historian Tarnya Cooper of the National Portrait Gallery completed a three-and-a-half-year study of portraits purported to be of Shakespeare and concluded that the Chandos portrait was most likely a representation of Shakespeare. Cooper points to the earring and the loose shirt-ties of the sitter, which were emblematic of poets (the poet John Donne and Shakespeare's patron the Earl of Pembroke sported similar fashions). However, she readily acknowledges that the painting's authenticity cannot be proven.[2][9]
Cooper also notes that the painting has been badly damaged by over-cleaning and retouching. Parts are abraded and some parts have been slightly altered. The hair has been extended and the beard is longer and more pointed than when originally painted.
CopiesEdit
An early copy of the portrait from c. 1670, which may give a clearer idea of the original appearance of the beard
In addition to the Chesterfield portrait, a copy was made at least as early as 1689 by an unknown artist. Many 18th century images used it as a model for portrayals of Shakespeare.
Because there are a lack of sources regarding Shakespeare's appearance – no written contemporary descriptions of him are known to exist, conflicting views regarding Shakespeare's ethnicity were written about in the 19th and 20th centuries based on the painting (which were based on phrenology). George Steevens said that the picture gave Shakespeare "the complexion of a Jew, or rather that of a chimney sweeper in the jaundice".[10] According to Ben Macintyre, "Some Victorians recoiled at the idea that the Chandos portrait represented Shakespeare. One critic, J. Hain Friswell, insisted 'one cannot readily imagine our essentially English Shakespeare to have been a dark, heavy man, with a foreign expression'."[11] Friswell agreed with Steevens that the portrait had "a decidedly Jewish physiognomy" adding that it displayed "a somewhat lubricious mouth, red-edged eyes" and "wanton lips, with a coarse expression."[12] According to Ernest Jones, the portrait convinced Sigmund Freud that Shakespeare was French: "He insisted that his countenance could not be that of an Anglo-Saxon but must be French, and he suggested that the name was a corruption of Jacques Pierre."[13]
ReferencesEdit
^"National Portrait Gallery – Portrait NPG 1; William Shakespeare". London: National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
^ abcdeTarnya Cooper (ed), Searching for Shakespeare, National Portrait Gallery and Yale Center for British Art, Yale University Press, 2006, pp. 54–61
^ abcMary Edmond, "The Chandos Portrait: A Suggested Painter", The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 124, No. 948, March 1982, pp. 146-147+149.
^Powell, Anthony (2005). Some Poets, Artists & "A Reference for Mellors". Timewell Press. p. 30. ISBN1-85725-210-1.
^Werner Habicht, David John Palmer, Roger Pringle, Images of Shakespeare: Proceedings of the Third Congress of the International Shakespeare Association, 1986, International Shakespeare Association Congress, University of Delaware Press, 1986, p.27
^Cooper, Tarnya; Pointon, Marcia; Shapiro, James; Wells, Stanley (2006). Searching for Shakespeare. Yale University Press. p. 48. ISBN0-300-11611-X.
^Higgins, Charlotte (2 March 2006). "The only true painting of Shakespeare – probably". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
^Schoenbaum, Samuel, Shakespeare's Lives, Oxford University Press, 1991, p.205.
^Louis Marder, His Exits and His Entrances: The Story of Shakespeare's Reputation, Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1963, p.203
^Ernest Jones, The life and work of Sigmund Freud, Basic Books, vol.1 1961 p.18.
External linksEdit
September 25, 2023
chandos, portrait, most, famous, portraits, that, believed, depict, william, shakespeare, 1564, 1616, painted, between, 1600, 1610, have, served, basis, engraved, portrait, shakespeare, used, first, folio, 1623, named, after, duke, chandos, formerly, owned, pa. The Chandos portrait is the most famous of the portraits that are believed to depict William Shakespeare 1564 1616 Painted between 1600 and 1610 it may have served as the basis for the engraved portrait of Shakespeare used in the First Folio in 1623 1 It is named after the 3rd Duke of Chandos who formerly owned the painting The portrait was given to the National Portrait Gallery London on its foundation in 1856 and it is listed as the first work in its collection 2 Chandos portraitArtistAttributed to John TaylorYearc 1600 1610MediumOil on canvasSubjectWilliam ShakespeareDimensions55 2 cm 43 8 cm 21 3 4 in 17 1 4 in LocationNational Portrait Gallery LondonAccessionNPG 1It has not been possible to determine with certainty who painted the portrait or whether it really depicts Shakespeare However the National Portrait Gallery believes that it probably does depict the writer Contents 1 Authorship and provenance 2 Scholarly views 3 Copies 4 Ethnic interpretations 5 References 6 External linksAuthorship and provenance Edit nbsp Engraved portrait of Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout on the title page of the first publication of his works the First Folio shows distinct similarities when compared to the oil painting nbsp The Soest Portrait of Shakespeare painted c 1667 nbsp The Chesterfield Portrait of Shakespeare painted c 1679It has been claimed that Shakespeare s friend Richard Burbage 1567 1619 painted the Chandos portrait 3 but the first known reference to the painting is in a note written in 1719 by George Vertue who states that it was painted by John Taylor a respected member of the Painter Stainers company who may also have been the same John Taylor who acted with the Children of Paul s 4 Vertue refers to Taylor as an actor and painter and as Shakespeare s intimate friend Katherine Duncan Jones argues that John Taylor could have been a misreading of what had originally been Jo Taylor she suggests that this may refer to the actor Joseph Taylor who was a protege of the older Shakespeare 5 Vertue also states that before the Duke of Chandos acquired it the portrait was owned by Shakespeare s possible godson William Davenant 1606 1668 3 4 who according to the gossip chronicler John Aubrey claimed to be the playwright s illegitimate son 6 He also states that it was left to Davenant in Taylor s will and that it was bought by Thomas Betterton from Davenant and then sold to the lawyer Robert Keck a collector of Shakespeare memorabilia 2 3 After Keck s death in 1719 it passed to his daughter and was inherited by John Nichol who married into the Keck family Nichol s daughter Margaret married James Brydges 3rd Duke of Chandos The painting passed through descent within the Chandos title until Richard Temple Grenville 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos sold it to the Earl of Ellesmere in 1848 Ellesmere donated it to the National Portrait Gallery 7 Scholarly views EditA contemporary image of the playwright is the engraving in the posthumously published First Folio of 1623 which was created by Martin Droeshout and was probably commissioned by Shakespeare s friends and family It is considered likely that the Droeshout engraving is a reasonably accurate likeness of Shakespeare because of its acceptance by these close associates and that contemporaries such as Ben Jonson praised it at the time of the publication 8 Since the man in the Chandos portrait resembles the one in the Droeshout engraving the similarity lends an indirect legitimacy to the oil painting A further indication of legitimacy is the fact that the Chandos portrait was the inspiration for two posthumous portraits of Shakespeare one by Gerard Soest and another grander one known as the Chesterfield portrait after a former owner of that painting 2 These were probably painted in the 1660s or 1670s within living memory of Shakespeare The Chesterfield portrait is held by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford upon Avon In 2006 art historian Tarnya Cooper of the National Portrait Gallery completed a three and a half year study of portraits purported to be of Shakespeare and concluded that the Chandos portrait was most likely a representation of Shakespeare Cooper points to the earring and the loose shirt ties of the sitter which were emblematic of poets the poet John Donne and Shakespeare s patron the Earl of Pembroke sported similar fashions However she readily acknowledges that the painting s authenticity cannot be proven 2 9 Cooper also notes that the painting has been badly damaged by over cleaning and retouching Parts are abraded and some parts have been slightly altered The hair has been extended and the beard is longer and more pointed than when originally painted Copies Edit nbsp An early copy of the portrait from c 1670 which may give a clearer idea of the original appearance of the beardIn addition to the Chesterfield portrait a copy was made at least as early as 1689 by an unknown artist Many 18th century images used it as a model for portrayals of Shakespeare The painting was engraved by Gerard Vandergucht for Nicholas Rowe s 1709 edition of Shakespeare s works Another print was made by Jacobus Houbraken in 1747 2 Ethnic interpretations EditBecause there are a lack of sources regarding Shakespeare s appearance no written contemporary descriptions of him are known to exist conflicting views regarding Shakespeare s ethnicity were written about in the 19th and 20th centuries based on the painting which were based on phrenology George Steevens said that the picture gave Shakespeare the complexion of a Jew or rather that of a chimney sweeper in the jaundice 10 According to Ben Macintyre Some Victorians recoiled at the idea that the Chandos portrait represented Shakespeare One critic J Hain Friswell insisted one cannot readily imagine our essentially English Shakespeare to have been a dark heavy man with a foreign expression 11 Friswell agreed with Steevens that the portrait had a decidedly Jewish physiognomy adding that it displayed a somewhat lubricious mouth red edged eyes and wanton lips with a coarse expression 12 According to Ernest Jones the portrait convinced Sigmund Freud that Shakespeare was French He insisted that his countenance could not be that of an Anglo Saxon but must be French and he suggested that the name was a corruption of Jacques Pierre 13 References Edit National Portrait Gallery Portrait NPG 1 William Shakespeare London National Portrait Gallery Retrieved 11 June 2009 a b c d e Tarnya Cooper ed Searching for Shakespeare National Portrait Gallery and Yale Center for British Art Yale University Press 2006 pp 54 61 a b c Mary Edmond The Chandos Portrait A Suggested Painter The Burlington Magazine Vol 124 No 948 March 1982 pp 146 147 149 a b Cooper et al 54 Katherine Duncan Jones A precious memento The Chandos Portrait and Shakespeare s intimate friend Times Literary Supplement April 25 2014 pp 13 15 Powell Anthony 2005 Some Poets Artists amp A Reference for Mellors Timewell Press p 30 ISBN 1 85725 210 1 Werner Habicht David John Palmer Roger Pringle Images of Shakespeare Proceedings of the Third Congress of the International Shakespeare Association 1986 International Shakespeare Association Congress University of Delaware Press 1986 p 27 Cooper Tarnya Pointon Marcia Shapiro James Wells Stanley 2006 Searching for Shakespeare Yale University Press p 48 ISBN 0 300 11611 X Higgins Charlotte 2 March 2006 The only true painting of Shakespeare probably The Guardian Archived from the original on 12 July 2012 Retrieved 13 July 2008 Schoenbaum Samuel Shakespeare s Lives Oxford University Press 1991 p 205 Sunday Times of London article by Ben Macintyre 10 March 2009 Commentary Portrait alleged to be the face of William Shakespeare http entertainment timesonline co uk tol arts and entertainment visual arts article5877544 ece Louis Marder His Exits and His Entrances The Story of Shakespeare s Reputation Lippincott Philadelphia 1963 p 203 Ernest Jones The life and work of Sigmund Freud Basic Books vol 1 1961 p 18 External links Edit Website Comparing the Three most likely Shakespeare Portraits Portraits of Shakespeare Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chandos portrait amp oldid 1176538171, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
