Newly found portrait could be Shakespeare’s gay muse, experts say
– 2 min read
A newly uncovered 16th-century miniature portrait may offer tantalising evidence of a romantic relationship between William Shakespeare and his long-rumoured male muse, Henry Wriothesley, the third Earl of Southampton. The discovery has reignited scholarly debate over the Bard’s sexuality and the identity of the mysterious “Fair Youth” immortalised in his sonnets.
The portrait, painted by Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard, was found in a private collection and has now been authenticated by art historian Dr Elizabeth Goldring of the University of Warwick. Measuring just two and a quarter inches in height, the exquisitely detailed image depicts Wriothesley with long flowing hair, a pearl earring, and richly embroidered clothing - features that highlight his celebrated androgynous beauty.
What makes the miniature particularly compelling is its reverse side: originally a red heart from a playing card, it has been deliberately painted over with a black arrow or spear - an emblem found in Shakespeare’s coat of arms. Experts suggest this act of defacement may symbolise a deeply personal rupture, possibly marking the end of a romantic relationship. “Miniatures were inherently private artworks, often exchanged as love tokens,” said Dr Goldring. “This feels like a really passionate act”.
Miniatures were inherently private artworks, often exchanged as love tokens ... This feels like a really passionate act
The timing of the portrait’s creation in the early 1590s coincides with Shakespeare’s dedication of two erotic poems - Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece - to Wriothesley. In one dedication, Shakespeare writes: “The love I dedicate to your Lordship is without end… What I have done is yours; what I have to do is yours.”
The miniature’s provenance suggests it may have been returned to Wriothesley around the time of his marriage in 1598, a rare reversal for such intimate tokens. “Normally they are given away,” noted Dr Goldring. “One tantalising interpretation might be that Shakespeare was the original recipient but returned it with his personal mark firmly obscuring the heart”.
Professor Sir Jonathan Bate, a leading Shakespeare scholar, described the find as “extraordinary,” adding, “This just felt like something even more private than the face seen on the other side”.
The portrait adds weight to the long-standing theory that Shakespeare was bisexual. Scholars have pointed to the emotional intensity and romantic language in sonnets addressed to men as evidence.
