Completed Dress and Textiles, East of England and The Midlands: Artists and Subjects, Portraits: British 16th and 17th C 8 Does this work depict Thomas and Judith Nash or John and Susanna Hall?

WAR_SBT_25
Topic: Subject or sitter

This portrait at various times is said to have been of Thomas and Elizabeth Nash (Shakespeare's granddaughter) or John and Susanna Hall (Shakespeare's daughter) or his daughter. However, there is no evidence to confirm this. Any suggestions as to who the sitters could be would be welcome as well as any information that would lend evidence to the identifications mentioned above or refute them.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Entry reviewed by Art UK

Completed, Outcome

Alice Read,

This discussion has now been closed. No conclusion was reached. If any contributors have new information about this painting, we encourage them to propose a new discussion by following the Art Detective link on the Your Paintings page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/portrait-of-an-an-unknown-man-and-woman-54175

Thank you to all for participating in this discussion. To those viewing this discussion for the first time, please see below for all comments that led to this conclusion.

7 comments

Bendor Grosvenor,

What evidence is there currently for the identifications? Any provenance? Documentation?

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust,

An early catalogue record suggests that the sitters are 'John Hall and his wife or daughter'. There is no evidence for the identication as Elizabeth and Thomas Nash and we're not sure when this identification was made or who by. Our current catalogue has no other information.

Alice Read,

No problem, thought it might help other users.

This has been a very interesting discussion but without additional documentary evidence the identity of the sitters must remain tentative. It is a very common problem. Many portraits acquire a traditional identification but these are notoriously unreliable. Time to declare this discussion closed, at least for the time being.