What do you think of the "new" Shakespeare portrait?
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/09/william.shakespeare.portrait/index.html
What do you think? Do you care? Do you think it looks the same as the others we've always had, or is it different enough to be a substantial new discovery? It's certainly big news in my world, as you could well imagine!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$7 Answers
I love when I find new facts on Mahalo and I am actually quite interested in Shakespeare. My sister has done a project about him and noticed that there was very little facts and graphics that could be included - so I can now show her this.
cjd
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
He also looks like he's evaluating the viewer.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$After reading some of the commentary, there are a lot of conclusions being drawn that I can't give credence to. For instance, the wealth indicated by his apparent well-being and expensive lace. How do we know this isn't a portrait in costume, or perhaps rented/donated by someone? Could this be a flattering bit of artistry depicting Shakespeare as he "should" be revered, not as he actually was? Maybe the old time version of the "after" effect of a "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" episode? Okay, that last was for a giggle, but it was intended to induce more speculation, not establish certainty based on a single new image.
I'm probably a little over-skeptical on this subject though. It seems like any time a discovery is made of an item or bit of architecture for which we don't know the function, the "conclusion" is drawn that the piece was religious in nature. I've learned to cast around for other possible explanations so I don't get locked into a false assumption.
He shore is pretty in the new picture tho, ain't he?
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I'm not so worried about the wealth claims - Occam's Razor says that it's more likely he was wealthy, than going through elaborate scams to pretend. I'm a little worried though about the people saying things like that he is "clearly a good listener" and "obviously of high intelligence." A 400 year old portrait can be many things, but never "clearly" or "obviously".
Amen! (I hate the word "obviously"!)
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
@morriss003 - I think that is a good observation. I'd say he is either wearing a wig, or his hair has naturally changed, or the artist painted it purposelly like that.
Look at the contrast of this photo and of this one:
It's actually been in the Cobbe family for 300 years. The thing is, they didn't know it was Shakespeare until one of the family was at an exhibit put on by the Folger, and saw a portrait that looked almost exactly like the one that was hanging in their collection. The real news isn't so much the discovery, it is the confirmation that they've done the appropriate tests and verified it to a sufficient degree that the experts in the field consider it legitimate.