New Portrait Could Reveal Shakespeare’s ‘Fair Youth’

A previously unknown miniature portrait by Elizabethan artist Nicholas Hilliard may depict Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, long speculated to be the “fair youth” central to Shakespeare’s sonnets.

Painted on delicate vellum and mounted on a playing card, the image shows an androgynous young figure with long auburn ringlets and pearl bracelets, an unusual adornment for men in Elizabethan portraiture.

Perhaps even more revealing is the defaced playing card backing: a red heart painted over with a black spear or spade. Art historians surmise this could symbolize heartbreak or a scorned affection, possibly hinting at private drama connected to the sitter. The portrait’s intimate tone has prompted scholars to reopen discussion about the nature of Shakespeare’s relationship with his patron.

The miniature, never previously published or displayed, was authenticated by Dr. Elizabeth Goldring and Emma Rutherford, with scholarly commentary co-authored by Shakespeare expert Sir Jonathan Bate and scheduled for publication in the Times Literary Supplement.

If confirmed to depict Wriothesley, the portrait could be the earliest known likeness of the man some believe inspired the emotional and often homoerotic “fair youth” sonnets. The combination of long, flowing hair, gender-ambiguous beauty, and intimate gesture, the sitter clutching his own hair to his heart, strengthens this interpretation.

The discovery adds a compelling visual dimension to centuries of speculation around the sonnets, their mysterious dedicatee, and the possibility that Shakespeare’s affection for the “fair youth” extended beyond the platonic or literary, a subject that continues to captivate scholars and enthusiasts alike.

Sources: The Guardian, The Times