Death

According to local legend, the death was the result of Sh fever, caught up to a party, which he gave in honor came to him from London friends, poets Ben Jonson and Drayton. Sh died April 23, 1616 Shortly before his death he made a thorough testament. Anybody from any close friends was not forgotten, and even the poor of the city of Stratford was left 10 pounds, t. E. 800-1000 rubles. Relatives received a rich inheritance; nurse, for example, except items and houses 22 lbs. Youngest daughter Judith was left in dowry as much as 150 pounds (12-15 th. Rub.), And the main heirs were appointed in-law Dr. Gale and his wife Suzanne.

Suzanne

Only one person at first glance not only bypassed, but even directly insulted - own wife of the testator. She was allowed only "second-goodness bed." This strange item wills filed for centuries to excuse himself misinterpretation: it can not be doubted saw proof of bad marriage. But now it turned out that a wife was no need to do special orders, as she legally owed to 1/3 of the entire property. A "second-goodness bed", apparently, is a manifestation of warm feelings: first, the best bed in the house then appointed to the guests, and the second - a marriage bed. The best proof of the fact that about any offense there can be no question, is the last survivor will Sh seven years († in 1623) his widow, she asked to be buried next to her husband himself. Sh leave to their heirs rather large inheritance to be buried with great honor: his tomb near the altar inside the same main Stratford church of St. Trinity (Holy Trinity), where he was in '52 before the cross. After a few years in the tomb of the nearest wall Stratford church has been a bust Sh

The bust of Shakespeare

Work not particularly skillful sculptor monumentschika, Dutchman Jansen or Johnson, Stratford bust, however, has the interest of reliability and, apparently, even made a mask, shot dead with Sh Bust was painted that offended the aesthetic sense of the famous commentator S. Malone (Malone), and he arranged so that in 1793 the bust was all painted in white paint. But in 1863, managed to restore the original color and visitor Stratford church can now see that S. had hazel eyes and chestnut hair and a beard, or rather, a piece of hair on the chin.

Sculptor Johnson

Another entitled deemed reliable image Sh - a woodcut Droyshyuta (Drœshout), applied to the first edition of the works of 1623 From an artistic point of view engraving too low esteem, but in an address to the reader Ben Johnson certifies that the features of the deceased transferred correctly. However, the similarity between the Stratford bust and the engraving Droyshyuta not great, except for the bald spot at the top of the skull, liquid mustache and small patch of hair on the chin. Stratford bust is a very dense head man with dull, flabby face expression and is very suitable for the statue would be Falstaff. Engraving Droyshyuta, on the contrary, gives a very fine features.

Engraving Droyshyuta

In 1892, Edgar Floueru managed to open in Stratford vintage portrait, with the designation of "Will-m Shakespeare 1609," to an extent similar to engraving Droyshyuta that is now accepted that it is with this portrait of a young and still inexperienced artist and made his play. Very weak bases read image Sh is the so-called "Ely-Palace portrait", apparently, wrote at the beginning of the XVII century. Enjoys huge popularity so-called "Chandossky" portrait. His other hand attributed Sh - famous tragedian Richard Berbedzha, which, indeed, was a talented portraitist. But it can hardly have any foundation, because the portrait is in sharp contradiction with the Stratford bust and the engraving Droyshyuta which, though at a low art, anyway sincerely striving for the accuracy of the image. Chandossky portrait gave Sh beard vdel big earrings in your ears, greatly ennobled his bald head. In general, it is extremely effective than explained how his popularity in public, so that all the later portraits of the XVIII and XIX centuries, took them into the sample is invalid, this original.

"Chandossky" portrait

Ideal-Sh most beautiful engravings circulating in public, his wonderful, inspirational views much more to the ideal concept of genius than the real Sh even less than Chandossky portrait, have a value range of other old rubs Sh - so called "Feltonovsky" - also allegedly brush Berbedzha "Yansenovsky", "Stratford", "Syustovsky" ("Soest" or "Zoust Portrait") and others. Finally, countless attempts to impose public institutions and collectors of different "authentic" Shakespeare portraits. Since 1856 the National Portrait Gallery in London has rejected more than 60 offers. In 1849, Dr. Ludwig Becker bought in Mainz in junk mask (now located in Darmstadt and is also known under the name "Kesselshtadtskoy") with respect to which there is a possibility that it is withdrawn from the dead and that S. made her Stratford bust.