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This website is dedicated to the search for an Ad vivum (from life) portrait of William Shakespeare¹ (1564 – 1616).
It is a search of intrigue, obsession, suspicion, forgeries, delusion, ego and wealth, let’s not forget the wealth !

What did Will really look like in life?

We do have an engraving: The Droeshout Engraving from The First Folio of 1623. It’s in the header above.
We also have a sculpted bust commissioned by his family after his death.

But these are not paintings or drawings from life. However there are paintings claimed to be of Shakespeare:

But none of these are authenticated as Shakespeare, even though the one in the middle, The Chandos Portrait, is most people’s idea of the real thing.

An ad vivum portrait would be a stunning addition to what is known about the man whose words have meant, and mean, so much.

Because there are so many portraits claimed to be of Shakespeare, I thought it would be good to gather them on one website, with the story behind each one, and some expert opinions about them.
They are interesting stories full of hope, intrigue, suspicion, forgeries, delusion, ego and wealth. Let’s not forget the wealth.

Possible portraits tend to be named after previous owners: The Chandos, The Grafton, The Felton. Some have even acquired multiple names: The Ogden was also know as The Boardman. So I’ve decided to group them in categories starting with “The” – “The Usual Suspects” (such as the Chandos) , “The Minor Suspects”, “The Ugly & Weird Suspects”, “The Missing Suspects”, “The Fakes & Forgeries” and a few more.

I’m also adding sections on The Institutes that own many of these, The Science of Proof, The Manuscripts, The Timeline of the Face, The Personal Collection (mine) and a maybe my favourite; “The Words of Shakespeare”: because that is what started my life long interest in the astonishing talent.

I’ll be completing the pages over the course of the next few (enter a timescale – I’m not sure).

I hope something on here will help us, someone, to find that portrait, from life, of William.
My search is based on the knowledge and insight of many good people from the present and past, a little bit of detective work, a lot of looking at old Elizabethan portraits, visiting museums, libraries, institutions and, occasionally, auction houses (with some inexpensive yet interesting acquisitions).

It’s a treasure hunt, sort of. Success is but a breath away. Stay with me – I’d like that very much.

If you want to say hello it’s michael@isitshakespeare.com

Michael D

1. This website is not concerned with whether or not William Shakespeare from Stratford upon Avon wrote the works: he did.
   If you want more detail please read “Shakespeare IN FACT” by Irvin Leigh Matus. Also you could visit https://oxfraud.com/nfp2