 | The so-called Chandos portrait, attributed to John Taylor, may or may not be a likeness of the Bard. The exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art marks the first time it has been displayed outside of the United Kingdom. |
Since no portrait of him was ever created in his lifetime, no one today knows for sure what William Shakespeare (1564-1616) looked like.
But in bringing together virtually all the extant material relating to the famous poet and playwright's life and work, a new exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art provides as many clues as one can possibly find.
Opening on June 23, "Searching for Shakespeare" features six painted portraits purporting to depict the playwright, including two commissioned by Shakespeare's colleagues and family: a ca. 1620 tomb effigy, erected only four years after his death, and a 1623 engraving that was praised by playwright Ben Jonson and fellow actors as being "a good likeness" of the Bard. Another of the pictures -- the so-called Chandos portrait -- was the first painting presented to the newly founded National Portrait Gallery in London in 1856. It has never before been displayed outside of the United Kingdom.
"Searching for Shakespeare" will also present the results of the latest technical analysis and research on several of the contender portraits, casting new light on the search for the playwright's authentic appearance.
In addition to the portraits of Shakespeare, the exhibit also features portraits of Shakespeare's contemporaries and patrons, original documents relating to his life, first editions of his plays and poetry, rare Elizabethan theatrical costumes and a model of the Globe theater (the venue where the playwright's most famous works were first produced). Also among the nearly 150 objects on display is Shakespeare's last will and testament.
Organized by the National Portrait Gallery in London in association with the Yale Center for British Art, "Searching for Shakespeare" also places the playwright in the broader context of the Elizabethan stage.
The exhibition includes manuscript and printed materials related to Elizabethan performance and stagecraft, and features portraits of actors (including Richard Burbage, who played the title roles in many of Shakespeare's plays), patrons (including the Earl of Southhampton, to whom Shakespeare dedicated the poem "Venus and Adonis"), and other playwrights and poets, such as Ben Jonson and Francis Bacon.
The Museum of London and the Victoria and Albert Museum have lent rare Elizabethan costumes, similar to those listed in Philip Henslowe's manuscript inventory of theatrical costumes (ca. 1592-1594).
Other lending institutions include the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and a number of private collections. Nearly 50 works have been selected from collections at Yale, including printed works and manuscripts from the Yale Center for British Art, the Elizabethan Club and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The curators of the exhibition are Tarnya Cooper of the National Portrait Gallery and Elisabeth Fairman of the Yale Center for British Art. The exhibition is supported by the David T. Langrock Foundation.
"Searching for Shakespeare," a book of essays edited by Cooper, has been published in conjunction with the exhibit.
Several events will presented in conjunction with the exhibition in June. These include a lecture titled "Shakespeare's London: The Tourists' Perspective" by Professor James Shapiro of Columbia University at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 22; a lunchtime lecture titled "Portraiture in Shakespeare's London" by Tarnya Cooper, 16th-century curator at the National Portrait Gallery in London, at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 23; and a Gallery Reading by James Andreassi, artistic director of the Elm Shakespeare Company, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. In addition, a film series titled "Much Ado About Shakespeare" will open on Friday, June 23, with the 1998 film "Shakespeare in Love." The series will also include four Saturday screenings: "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993) on Aug. 5, "The Dresser" (1983) on Aug. 12, "Richard III" (1995) on Aug. 19 and "Merchant of Venice" (2004) on Aug. 26. All screenings are at 2 p.m. These and the other events listed here are free and open to the public.
"Searching for Shakespeare" will be on view through Sept. 17.
The Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. It is free and open to the public. For further information, call (203) 432-2800 or visit the center's website at www.yale.edu/ycba.
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