Window Cleaner's Shakespeare Portrait: £200m Treasure or Mere Illusion?
A window cleaner from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, claims his family may possess the only authentic portrait of William Shakespeare painted during the playwright's lifetime. Steven Wadlow, 58, believes the painting, which could be worth up to £200 million if authenticated, has been hanging largely unnoticed in his family's living room for decades.
Wadlow's father, Peter, purchased the painting from the Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire in the 1960s. It wasn't until 2012, while watching a documentary about Shakespeare, that Peter remarked, "He looks like our bloke above the telly." This sparked an investigation by Wadlow, who commissioned X-rays that dated the painting to 1595, when Shakespeare would have been around 31 years old.
Experts have since confirmed that the painting, dubbed "The Wadlow Portrait," dates from the correct period and is not a copy. They believe it could be the only authenticated portrait of Shakespeare from his lifetime. However, Wadlow has faced skepticism from many academics.
"Because I'm a working-class tradesperson, the people who have been studying this for years, they don't want to find this out from a no-one," he told The Sun.
It's important to note that only two unambiguous portraits of Shakespeare exist, both of which were painted after his death in 1616. While several other portraits from the 17th century are attributed to Shakespeare, the identity of the sitters in those works is either unknown or disputed.
Wadlow acknowledges that he may never know for sure if the painting is truly of Shakespeare. Nevertheless, he believes it deserves further examination and public attention. "Let's get it out and talk about it," he said.
The Wadlow Portrait currently resides in secure storage while its authenticity is further investigated. The discovery of a previously unknown, authentic portrait of Shakespeare would be a significant event for art historians and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike.
