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Presumed Portrait of William Shakespeare

Unknown

1830

oil

panel

From the collection of Ashmolean Museum

Early 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Presumed Portrait of William Shakespeare is a 1830 oil by Unknown, held at Ashmolean Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1830
Where can I see it?: Ashmolean Museum

About this work

This portrait, painted in oil, presents a man with a prominent forehead, thinning dark hair, and a well-groomed beard. His eyes are cast downward, and his lips are slightly parted. The subject wears a dark, possibly black, garment that frames his face. The background of the painting is dark, which draws attention to the subject's features. The painting's style is characterized by the use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume in the subject. The artist's use of impasto, applying thick layers of paint to the canvas, adds texture to the work. Glazing, a technique that involves applying multiple thin layers of transparent paint over a base coat, is also evident in the painting.