Sharing Shakespeare's Story
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Portrait
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust portrait of William Shakespeare was painted during his lifetime. While we do not know the name of the artist, painter anonymity is often the case for paintings at this time. Consider how carefully the artist has painted Shakespeare’s face and clothes. His skin looks clear and his eyes look bright and alive. The beautiful lace collar was very fashionable and expensive, and shows us that, at this time in his life, Shakespeare was successful and wealthy. This portrait was painted on oak panels. The wood was left to ‘season’ or dry so that it would be in good condition for painting. The paints were made from pigments, or coloured earths, mixed with linseed oil.
Since portraits reveal so much about their subject, Shakespeare referred to portraiture when characters struggle to explain or understand something vital about another person. In the tragedy of Hamlet, for instance, Hamlet directs his mother to two portraits: one of his father, and the other of his uncle who is now his step-father.