Do we truly know what Shakespeare looked like?

When you think of Shakespeare, a specific image may come to mind: receding hairline, droopy eyes, a slender mustache, and long, flowing hair. Given his fame, you might even think you'd recognize him in a crowd.

This mental image likely comes from just one source: the Droeshout portrait, an engraving in black and white that served as the frontispiece of the First Folio (shown above). Thought to have been created by Flemish engraver Martin Droeshout in 1623, it was first published seven years after Shakespeare's death in the initial collection of his plays. It's unlikely that Droeshout drew it from life, and most scholars believe it was based on a real portrait of Shakespeare that no longer exists.

In fact, no portrait conclusively shows what Shakespeare looked like. Since the mid-17th century, historians have speculated that the figure in the Chandos Portrait, painted in 1610, is Shakespeare. While its origin and style suggest it was created during Shakespeare's era, there is no solid proof identifying the sitter, as noted by Tarnya Cooper, author of Searching for Shakespeare and curatorial director at London's National Portrait Gallery.

Next, there's the Cobbe portrait (below). Once part of the collection of 18th-century Anglican Archbishop Charles Cobbe, it is said to have been passed down through his family from the great-granddaughter of Shakespeare's patron, the Earl of Southampton. Modern analysis of the painting indicates it was created after 1595, with fashion details suggesting it could have been painted as late as 1610. The unidentified artist may have captured Shakespeare between the ages of 31 and 46, though the figure appears somewhat younger than middle-aged.

Descendants of the Cobbe family have claimed that this portrait is the only surviving likeness of Shakespeare, but art historian Sir Roy Strong dismissed this as "codswallop" (translation: nonsense).

Some historians even argue that the Cobbe portrait is actually of Sir Thomas Overbury, a poet born in 1581. Recognizable likenesses of Overbury strongly resemble the figure in the Cobbe painting, and—perhaps most significantly—the painting doesn't align with the best-known image of Shakespeare from the same period, which happens to be a bust.

The "holy trinity bust" was not created during Shakespeare's lifetime—it was commissioned four years after his death to be placed above his grave at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. The sculpture portrays a somewhat rounder version of Shakespeare than the familiar image, likely because it shows him in his later years, and it doesn't resemble the Droeshout engraving, the Chandos portrait, or the Cobbe portrait—which share notable similarities. However, since it was commissioned while his widow and son-in-law were still alive, scholars believe it offers a credible likeness of the playwright.

More than 400 years after his death, the true likeness of Shakespeare continues to spark debate. For now, a few indirect images are our best clues as to what he might have looked like. Fortunately, his written works are preserved in much greater detail.