It’s not a ‘new’ portrait as it has been known about for many years, but it is in the news as it is about to be sold. Evidence for it being our main man, include:
- In 1608 Shakespeare was 44 (as inscribed on the top of the painting)
- He is balding
- He has a long nose
- He has a fold of the skin to the left of his left eye
- The two had convincing connections (people and places) in common
- The Peake family printed the Droeshout Portrait used in the First Folio
- Testing shows it is not a forgery
However, it doesn’t really look like the two Shakespeare portraits we can trust to be him (the Droeshout and the bust on his memorial in Holy Trinity Stratford where he was buried). But if someone pays £10m maybe we will change our minds?
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Check out the history of the bust in the church, it’s not what it seems. And the revised versions of the Droeshout image on the 3rd folio.