Shakespeare, by Martin Droeshout (The Younger)

The First Folio title portrait of Shakespeare by Martin Droeshout appears in four different "states," explains Erin Blake, Curator of Art and Head of Collection Information Services at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Come see the portraits in "Shakespeare's the Thing," an exhibition that runs through June 15, 2014.

There were two Martins in the Droeshout family: There was the Elder Martin (1560 - 1642), who was a member of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers.  An accomplished artist already at the time of the Shakespeare engraving (1623), one researcher reasoned that it was actually he who did the work.  

first state

second state

But another researcher concluded otherwise.  The Younger Martin (1601 - 1639) was the nephew of the Elder, and it made sense to attribute the engraving to him, because of its clumsy features.  From the first, to the second state, however, he corrected for the lack of shadow, and more, to the left of Shakespeare's face.  In any case, the Droeshout portrait is one of only two works that have been definitively deemed as truly that of the Bard.