What Famous Historical Figures Actually Looked Like

Published on 07/24/2019
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William Shakespeare

Many scholars and historians agree that the most accurate depiction of William Shakespeare can be found on the engraving made by Martin Droeshout. The literary genius who created classics like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet defnitely had some facial hair though he had a receding hairline. In 1975, William Shakespeare’s death mask was discovered in London by Professor Hildegard Hammerschmidt-Hummel. In the 1800s, people made death masks by using wax or plaster over the face of a dead person. Debate is ongoing over whether the mask is of Shakespeare or not, but someone has decided to think of it as the real thing.

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

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What William Shakespeare Really Looked Like

In 2010, Dr. Caroline Wilkinson (Dundee University) made use of Shakespeare’s alleged death mask so she could create a rendering of him. The professor used the mask and 3D imaging to map Shakespeare’s face. She came up with this pretty somber rendering. Many would agree that her depiction of the literary great is similar to other interpretations to some extent. William Shakespeare died at the age of 52 on April 23, 1616.

What William Shakespeare Really Looked Like

What William Shakespeare Really Looked Like

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