Window Cleaner Discovers £200 Million Shakespeare Portrait
A window cleaner from Aylesbury, Steven Wadlow, has made a groundbreaking discovery in the world of art. Wadlow has authenticated a portrait hanging in his living room as a genuine portrait of William Shakespeare. The portrait depicts Shakespeare at the age of 31, with hair and no beard, making it the only known portrait painted during the playwright’s lifetime.
The discovery was made by Wadlow while he was cleaning windows in his living room. He initially regarded the portrait as a mere family heirloom, saying, “I didn’t particularly like it because it used to scare me, wherever you are in the house, it’s looking at you. It always used to remind me of those portraits on Scooby Doo.”
Wadlow’s journey into the art world began unexpectedly when his father was watching an episode of Time Team. “One night over 11 years ago, mum and dad were watching a programme about Stratford upon Avon when they noticed a painting with a familiar face. My dad phoned me the next day and said, I think the painting in the corner might be Shakespeare,” Wadlow explained.
A visiting English and Art lecturer confirmed these suspicions, sparking a 12-year investigation into the painting’s origins. The portrait underwent extensive scientific analysis at some of the world’s leading art institutions, including the Hamilton Kerr Institute and UCL. Cutting edge technology revealed underdrawings, including a mysterious coat of arms and overpainting that had been added in order to disguise the true identity of the sitter. However, the painting passed every test and was proven to be genuine.
The painting’s provenance further supports its authenticity. Wadlow’s father bought the painting for £900 from art restorers working on the Great Tew estate in the 1960s. Today, the estate near Banbury is known for its celebrity residents, including the Beckhams, Simon Cowell, Claudia Winkleman, Prince Harry, and Megan Markel. Wadlow discovered that the manor house once held a portrait of Shakespeare, further supporting the theory that his painting is genuine.
Art experts believe that this vanished portrait of Shakespeare was used as the model for the earliest engraving of Shakespeare, which appeared on the first folio of his plays printed in 1623. Wadlow’s portrait has many similarities with this missing portrait, including the fact that it was painted in 1595 when Shakespeare was 31 years old.
Despite the evidence, the establishment has been hesitant to accept a portrait of Shakespeare with hair and no beard. Wadlow stated, “You feel like you’re banging your head against a wall or trying to get through closed doors because you’re not part of the establishment.”
However, Wadlow found the answer through cutting edge facial recognition technology, which showed that his portrait was closer to the engraving than all the other more famous portraits that claim to be of Shakespeare. Wadlow’s dedication and patience paid off when Lumiere technology of Paris confirmed that his portrait depicts Shakespeare as an actor, playing a role in one of his own plays and was indeed the model for the engraving.
The news of this remarkable discovery has caused a stir in the art world, and Wadlow’s life is sure to change in the coming days. Barkingmad TV has been following Wadlow’s journey for eight years and is looking for a broadcaster who wants to share his remarkable story. If you would like to interview Steven Wadlow, please contact Madoc Roberts at madoc@barkingmad.tv or call 07715947801.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.