Shakespeare only lifetime portrait is on sale for 96 crore

According to the Independent, a painting of legendary playwright William Shakespeare claimed to be the only painting during his lifetime, is up for sale for more than 10 million pounds sterling (Rs 96 crore). It’s a signed and dated photograph of the author that’s currently on display at the Grosvenor House hotel in west London.

The portrait’s owner, who wishes to remain secret, is selling it privately rather than at an auction. Robert Blake, King James I’s court painter, created the portrait. It is also signed and dated 1608, according to the outlet.

The image was previously on exhibit in the library of the Danby family’s former stately estate in northern England. It has been privately held since then.

“Those behind its sale claim the connections between Shakespeare and Peake are “extensive”. They say Peake was regularly commissioned to paint the portraits of high-ranking members of the Court and Jacobean society,” According to the Independent.

It goes on to say that just two posthumous paintings of Shakespeare are typically considered real. These are the engravings on the title page of the 1623 First Folio and the sculpture at his funeral monument in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Duncan Phillips, an art expert who researched the picture prior to the auction, told the Independent, “There is more evidence for this portrait of Shakespeare than any other known painting of the playwright. The picture has survived the past 400 years almost untouched by wear and tear thanks to its ownership by a family of Shakespeare enthusiasts who hung it in their library.”

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