The origin of the vast majority of the claimants
is only too well known, or shrewdly suspected: these are (1)
copies, more or less unfaithful, of older pictures; (2) idealised
portraits, based upon such older ones, or upon the Bust; (3) genuine
portraits of unknown persons, valued for some slight or imaginary
resemblance to the Bust, or to such older portraits, or for having
passed as Shakespeare's, and thus offering the means of selling dear
what had been bought cheap; (4) impostures. As I am not writing an
essay upon the portraits, I will merely mention in the order of
their importance the few claimants whose title merits the least
consideration.
I.--The Droeshout engraving, prefixed to the first collective
edition of the Poet's works, published in 1623: i.e., the print in
its early state.
II.--The so-called Janssen portrait (on wood) in the collection of
the Duke of Somerset. This has been traced back to 1761, when it
was purchased by Charles Jennens, Esq., of Gopsall. Its identity
with the portrait which was purchased for the Duke of Hamilton and
Brandon in 1809 is, at least, highly probable. In 1811 Woodburn
published the first engraving from it, and stated that the picture
had belonged to Prince Rupert, who left it to Mrs. E. S. Howes on
his death in 1682. No actual proof of this was given, nor did
Woodburn mention Jennens' ownership.
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