Found intravital portrait of Shakespeare

[Marina56]

Public display found in the Irish mansion lifetime portraits of Shakespeare, the only one known to date - certainly a unique event.
No photograph or reproduction, as well as a copy will not be able to transfer skills by an unknown artist, 400 years ago paint a portrait of the great English poet and playwright. In England it is still respectfully styled Bard, though whether he was the author of the famous to the whole world plays - so it is for certain and not proven. Shekspiromaniya - akin to religious faith, descended over the words that can not be verified documented. So the portrait - not life-giving and not mirotochaschaya icon, but surprisingly, that for 400 years, he has so well preserved. Live paint, thin skin, amazing facial expressions, elegant costume - you can look at this picture without stopping.
The story itself it is also quite amusing: painting, most likely, was commissioned by an unknown artist to the 3 rd Earl of Southampton, who was a patron and, perhaps, romantic passion of Shakespeare. Since it was made a few copies, who lived their lives all these years. And the original passed from generation to generation and hung until recently in a Cobb family mansion outside Dublin. And one of the heirs of the family - Alex Cobb - at an exhibition in London saw one of the copies, and realized that his home hangs the original of this work!
Several examinations - Dendrochronology of oak boards in Germany, X-ray and infrared analysis of the picture itself in Cambridge - and it becomes completely clear that found only one known to date in vivo portraits of Shakespeare. In this painting masterpiece quality and very well preserved.
In April, it can be seen at the exhibition in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. Until now guarded by two stalwart young man, whose faces do not light up the excess emotion, but at heart they, too, for sure, understand what a treasure he entrusted to take care of.