Shakespeare’s Portrait Getting Cleaned?
The National Portrait Gallery in London is considering cleaning one of its most famous pictures, the Chandos portrait of William Shakespeare. The proposal was made at a seminar with outside specialists; the gallery’s trustees will decide next year whether to proceed with treatment. Although all portraits of Shakespeare are controversial, the Chandos picture (around 1600-10) is the one that is most likely to depict the dramatist from life. It is said to have been painted by a John Taylor, supposedly a friend of the Bard, and was first owned by William Davenant, the poet laureate. Unfortunately, the identity of Taylor remains unclear.
