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 Visiting the Bard's Cobbe Portrait
The Cobbe Portrait is on display at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust—Stanley
Moss pays it a visit
photographed by the author
IN MARCH,
the Stratford-upon-Avon-based Shakespeare Birthplace Trust announced
the discovery of a hitherto-unknown portrait of the Bard (originally
thought to be of Sir Walter Raleigh), which had resided unrecognized
for the past 300 years in an Irish collection. Immediately a gaggle
of naysayers surfaced, despite outstanding conservation and the
excellent science and exhaustive scholarship brought to bear to
authenticate the work, including the sanction of the Trust’s respected
Chairman, Stanley Wells.
In May, the portrait went on display in the exhibition
space adjacent to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, a tantalizing stimulus
to new public discussion, invigorating the ongoing discourse on
who the real William Shakespeare was—so little is known of
his life beyond the notations remaining in public records.
In an era where visual literacy validates celebrity,
it’s especially alluring to see first-hand such a portrait, considered
the only likeness known to be rendered in Shakespeare’s lifetime,
and the one on which most others attributed (including the frontispiece
of the First Folio published in 1623) have been fashioned.
It is believed to have been commissioned by his greatest patron,
Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of Southampton.
A fine illustrated booklet entitled Shakespeare
Found, describing the portrait and the arduous process of determining
its provenance, is available at the gift shop, where you can also
score a bobbing head Shakespeare for your car, among other themed
goodies.
The portrait will remain in Stratford only through
September, and due to the controversy and the owner’s reluctance
to participate in the fractiousness, it may be your last chance
to see this remarkable work for generations. It’s a masterful execution,
far superior to the copies, with elegant details and an enigmatic,
luminous quality, and offers insights into its subject’s character
and social standing.
The recently redesigned exhibit which is its temporary
home features Elizabethan artifacts including a gold signet ring
monogrammed WS, and film clips from the many versions of
his plays, narrated by Patrick Stewart. Well worth a visit, especially
for aficionados, and a chance to decide for yourself whether
the critics really doth protest a bit too much. •
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6QW
www.shakespeare.org.uk
Stanley Moss is travel editor of Lucire.
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In an era where visual literacy validates celebrity,
it’s especially alluring to see first-hand such a portrait, considered
the only likeness known to be rendered in Shakespeare’s lifetime
Above: The Shakespeare Centre and souvenirs.
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