William Shakespeare

Description

Portrait of William Shakespeare, 1783

Crayon on paper

Ozias Humphry R.A. (1742-1810)

This sketch was copied from the 'Chandos' portrait for the Shakespeare scholar Edmund Malone (1741-1812). The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s first catalogue (1868) describes it as follows: A portrait of Shakespeare; copied in crayons by Ozias Humphry, R.A., in 1783, from the Chandos portrait, expressly for Malone, who on the back has written that it is a very faithful copy, and in his opinion, invaluable. He thinks that Shakespeare was about 43 when the [Chandos] portrait was painted.

The painter Ozias Humphry was born in Devon, England. He studied art in London and Bath. He was a very successful painter of portrait miniatures until his failing sight led him to undertake larger works. He finally lost his sight entirely in 1797.