Shakespeare restoration may cost the Bard his beard

The face of William Shakespeare could finally be revealed, as the National Portrait Gallery considers cleaning one of its most famous works for the first time.

The Chandos portrait is thought to be the only surviving likeness of the playwright that was painted as he posed. It has been attributed to his friend, John Taylor.

The portrait, named after its former owner, the Duke of Chandos, depicts a bearded gentleman with a gold hoop in his ear and receding dark hair. It is estimated to have been painted in 1610, when Shakespeare was about 46. Over the centuries it has…