Portrait of Shakespeare's possible lover found

The oval miniature painting has been confirmed to be the work of Nicholas Hilliard - who was said to be Queen Elizabeth I's favourite portraitist.

A portrait believed to be William Shakespeare's possible lover has been discovered in a private collection.

Warwick art historian Elizabeth Goldring uncovered the lost portrait of Shakespeare's patron Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, after more than 400 years.

The painting has now been confirmed as by Nicholas Hilliard (c.1547-1619), who was said to be Queen Elizabeth I's favourite portraitist.

Stratford-upon-Avon born playwright Shakespeare dedicated Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece to Wriothesley, who some think was the "fair youth" to whom many of Shakespeare's sonnets are addressed.

Owners of the private collection contacted Dr Goldring after reading her book on Hilliard, suspecting the tiny painting in their collection to be of the renowned miniaturist.

The miniature's style indicates it was painted in the early 1590s, said the University of Warwick.

Dr Goldring said: "The Earl's pearl earring, bracelets, beautifully embroidered clothing and long hair held close to his heart may present an initial impression of a woman, but this is a faithful representation of Wriothesley's appearance."

The back of the portrait shows it was originally painted on a red heart playing card, which was usual for the time.

A small detail on the back of the miniature could be a potential clue to the nature of Wriothesley's personal relationship with Shakespeare, said Dr Goldring, who spent eight months studying the artwork.

"Miniatures were inherently private artworks that were frequently exchanged as love tokens," she said.

"This miniature is pasted onto a playing card, which is customary for the time.

"The reverse of this playing card was originally a red heart, but most unusually, the heart has been deliberately obliterated and painted over with a black arrow.

"It could, arguably, be a spade - but I think it more strongly resembles a spear, the symbol that appears in Shakespeare's coat of arms."

While it is impossible to say when the defacement on the card happened, Dr Goldring said it was "certainly done with a purpose".

The oval painting measures just two and a quarter inches in height.

Goldring added: "One tantalising interpretation might be that Shakespeare was the original recipient of the miniature but returned it to the Earl at some point.

"Perhaps around the time of Southampton's marriage in 1598 - with his personal mark firmly obscuring the heart.

"Such a scenario would help to explain why and how the miniature remained in a branch of the Southampton family for hundreds of years."