Dundee scientist brings Shakespeare's face to life
- Published
Authentication analysis was carried out on Shakespeare's death mask
A Scottish scientist has helped reconstruct a "warts and all" image of William Shakespeare for a new documentary.
Dr Caroline Wilkinson from Dundee University carried out authentication analysis on several death masks including that of the playwright.
Computer technology was then used to create 3D images of him and other, famous figures from history.
Death Masks is to be shown on The History Channel at 2100 BST.
Shakespeare's true likeness has been disputed for centuries, and many experts dispute that the death mask used in the programme is even his.
It was found in Darmstadt, Germany, in the 1840s and linked to Shakespeare by German scientists who carried out a series of tests on it.
Consistencies revealed
Dr Wilkinson claimed the mask was consistent with portraits of the writer.
She said: "The Shakespeare death mask was compared to the Cobbe portrait, the Funerary bust by Gerald Johnson (1622), and an engraved portrait by Martin Droeshout"
"My conclusion was that there were a large number of consistencies and provided support for the assertion that the death mask is of William Shakespeare."
The team also produced 3D likenesses of Napoleon, Julius Caesar, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.