What did Shakespeare look like?

There are only three images of Shakespeare that date from around Shakespeare's time -- during his life and several years following his death. The Chandos Portrait at the National Gallery is possibly the most significant of the three because it is the only portrait that was done from Shakespeare in life -- it is the only portrait that Shakespeare himself sat for.

The Chandos Portrait is not named for the artist, but rather for the owner. (Now here's a name...) Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville, second Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, inherited the work, which was thought to have come into the Chandos family in 1747. After he lost his fortune in 1848, all of his belongings, including the painting, were auctioned off. The Earl of Ellesmere purchased it for 355 guineas. In 1856, Ellesmere gifted the piece to the brand new National Portrait Gallery as its founding work, meaning its very first acquisition. The Chandos Portrait has been attributed to artist John Taylor and dates from about 1610.

This one portrait tells us a great deal about Shakespeare. According to Dr. Tarnya Cooper, curator of sixteenth-century portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, from this painting we can tell that Shakespeare was "'a little more fashionably racy than the average person'" (qtd in Bryson 3). His small gold hoop earring suggests that Shakespeare was bohemian, artistic, or "'adventurous,'" as would be expected from someone whose life was in the theatre (qtd in Bryson 3). We can also tell that he was "'prosperous,'" as he is dressed in black clothing, and "'It takes a lot of dye to mkae a fabric really black....So black clothes in the sixteenth century were nearly always a sign of prosperity'" (qtd in Bryson 3-4).

Click here to find out how the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust answers the question "What did Shakespeare look like?".

Bill Bryson's newest book Shakespeare is quoted in this post. It's a great read; I highly recommend it!