"There are," says Boaden (page 53), "a few circumstances relating to the
picture of which some notice should be taken in this examination. There
is, it seems, a tradition that, no original picture of Shakespeare
existing, Sir Thomas Clarges caused a" (i. e., this) "portrait to be
painted from a young man who had the good fortune to resemble him"
(i. e., Shakespeare. Query: How did Sir Thomas know that the young
man resembled Shakespeare?). Mr. Malone traced this story to "The
Gentleman's Magazine" for August, 1759, and called on the writer for his
authority; but the writer, whoever he was, never gave it, any more than
Malone gave his authority for announcing its date to be 1607; but Malone
himself says that "most reports of this kind are an adumbration of
some fact, and indication of something in kind or degree similar or
analogous."
No. 6. This is a portrait, so called, by Zuccharo, which need not detain
us, since Mr. Boaden himself demonstrates very clearly that it was not
in any event painted from life, and, not improbably, did not originally
claim to have been intended for Shakespeare at all.
Mr. Boaden's No. 7 is the "Cornelius Jansen picture," and to this Mr.
Boaden pins his earnest faith. He says this "is now in the collection of
the Duke of Somerset;" but he appears to make no attempt to connect it
with William Shakespeare except as follows: Cornelius Jansen is said
to have painted the daughter of Southampton--ergo, he might have been
Southampton's family painter, and Southampton might have been desirous
to possess a portrait of his friend Shakespeare done by his own
painter--ergo, Jansen might {102}have had William Shakespeare for a
sitter! This is all the authority for the authenticity. But that it
is--judging from the engraving in Mr. Boaden's book--a magnificent
picture, we think there can be no question.
On the supposition that the Chandos is an authentic likeness of
Shakespeare, this Jansen certainly bears a strong Shakespearean
resemblance. In it the hair is curling, as in the Chandos, not straight,
as in the Droeshout and the Marshall engravings. The mustache, which
is cut tight to the face without being shaved, as in the Droeshout, and
strong and heavy, as in the bust, is lighter than the Chandos, while
the beard is fuller. There is nothing of the tremendous upper lip
represented in the bust.
Mr. Boaden (page 195) describes it as an eye-witness, he having had
access to it for the purposes of the book before us. He says: "It is
an early picture by Cornelius Jansen, tenderly and beautifully painted.
Time seems to have treated it with infinite kindness, for it is quite
pure, and exhibits its original surface.... The portrait is on panel,
and attention will be required to prevent a splitting of the oak, in two
places, if my eyes have not deceived me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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