To be, or not to be... is this Shakespeare?

£10million painting could be only one in his lifetime

- Chris Riches

THIS previously unseen portrait is not a bard likeness of Shakespeare – as experts believe it is the only “signed and dated” painting of the playwright in his lifetime.

This hidden masterpiece could fetch at least £10million when it goes on the market at a private sale, attracting interest from across the globe.

The stunning portrait was by Robert Peake (1551-1619) who was the official painter to James I and is dated 1608 and signed by the artist with his regular mark.

There are at least two artworks confirmed to be of Shakespeare – but both, one an engraving by Martin Droeshout and the other a statue in Stratford-upon-Avon – were made after his death.

This painting has been in the hands of an elderly owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, but hopes it will remain in the UK.

The artwork’s researcher Duncan Phillips, an art and antiques writer, told the Daily Express: “We shall never really know what William Shakespeare looked like.