New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-30
ShRk0speare's Portrait.


Mr. William Page the well known artist
delivered lecture on the genuineness OF
the German mask of Shakespeare before an
audience not large in numbers, but including
| a remarkable proportion of people well
known for literary taste and culture. He
had on easels before the audience two large
copies of the mask one rendering faithfully
its present appearance, and one in which
| certain injuries and defacements are OBJ
liberated. There were also exhibited copies
of the other accepted representations of the
| mantle ChandOs portrait, which was
painted from life; the DrOeshOut print. the
same to whose accuracy Ben johnson testi-
fes in the 1923 folio of Shakespeare's works,
and The bust over the poets tomb, in the
church at Stratford, which Mr.. Page be-
lieves to have been made from the mask,
trait of the dramatist, which is the result
of careful study of all these, was also
| placed in view of the audience.
Alter giving account of how twelve pho
! tographs of the mask, preventing strongly
| the various different points, fell into his
| possession. the lecturer proceeded to give
his reasons tor believing that it was really
taken from the face OF the dead Shakes
peare. The cast, which was discovered in
the private museum of the Won Kestelstadt.
family, OF Hesse Darmstadt is of plaster,
but according to Mr.. Page that originally
taken must have been of wax. According
to his theory, waxen etigy was made and
laid in state tor exhibition in Stratford after
the body was buried, and this was seen by
Count Won kestelstadt, who had the face
copied for himself. Some twenty wears
after he had a small picture of the original
scene OF the body lying in state painted un-
der his own direction. This is the original
OF the picture enormously designated tie
Death Bed of Shakespeare" The in
ternaI evidence of the authenticity of the
mask. the lecturer believed to be very
strong. In the first place it includes all
the strong points of the other three repre-
sensations, all those points which are in ac-
cordance with nature, and they are harmo-
niously combined, as they would have been
IN the face of the man, from which each
artist succeeded III catching some of the
truth, while in other parts he failed. 1t has
the full and expansive forehead of them all.
the prominent chin of the Droeshout etch
ing and the wide and prominent cheek
bones OF the Chandes painting. 1t moreover
SATISFIES the mind and presents face which
IN their combination, and which we instinct
lively feel NAV have belonged to the fore
most man of all this world A curious bit of
evidence, which was dwelt on with great
emphasis, is the existence of two small scars
over the right eyebrow. Mr.. Page, who has
never seen the original mask, but derives
his notions of it altogether from photo.
graphs and descriptions, is thoroughly
convinced on the subject of these scars
though Others who have seen the mask
THINK they are but imperfectons in the cast.
MI rage supports his own view by inpe. !
NOUS arguments drawn from the Chandos |
portrait and supposed reference to the |
scar IN one of Shakespeare's sonnets. The |
portrait was at one time restored" and |
patched up by an Indifferent artist, and |
what were regarded as it's imperfections |
obliterated. Years afterward the ArundaI i
society had the new paint removed in order
mat the original might be restored, and
then these scars appeared, showing that
they were put in by the first artist, who had
worked from the living subject. The aliu-
sloh which the lecturer finds to these marks
is in sonnet Il2:
11ur love and pity doth the impression fill !
, " men vulgar scandal stamped upon nv broe
FoI what care who calls me well or ILL.,
80 you 0 er-green my bad my good allow
stronger than all other evidence ct au
Mr.. Page regards the perfect re-
presentation OF our idea of the man in this
mask He finds it
"a combination and a form indeed
" here every god did seem to set his seal
10 give the world assurance of man"
ne lecturer made no reference to his own
work In reproducing the portrait of the liv
ng man from the cast Of the dead face, and
such hints as could be got from the Chandos
portrait. the DrOeshOut print and the STRAIT
ord bust but the result was exhibited on
me platform. and many went up to obtain
loser view after the lecture was over. If
3 noble representation of the immortal
'ard' but a good deal idealized. The ex
preston, which is mainly drawn from the
lrtlsts own conception to fill the forms and
outlines furnished by the mask, is one of a
of senslbility. 1t lacks
trength and massive composure, and seems
liied to Overlooking with the tenderness.
lot to say weakness, of human nature.