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Secrets of the Dead

X-Rays Reveal Hidden Clues: Is This the Only Portrait of Shakespeare from Life?

Season 23 Episode 2 | 2m 02s

X-ray scans and stylistic analysis of the Wadlow Shakespeare portrait reveal details hidden beneath several layers of overpaint. What do these new findings mean for the authenticity of the portrait?

SECRETS OF THE DEAD is made possible, in part, by public television viewers.
Extras
Watch • 0:32
Secrets of the Dead
Preview | Picturing Shakespeare
Could the discovery of a third portrait of William Shakespeare be a genuine article?
Preview: S23 E2 | 0:32
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Secrets of the Dead
Family Discovers Possible Shakespeare Portrait Hanging in Their Living Room
The portrait hung above the family TV for 50 years before they realized it might be Shakespeare.
Clip: S23 E2 | 2:10
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Secrets of the Dead
Facial Recognition Finds 91% Match to Shakespeare
Facial recognition software suggests the portrait may depict William Shakespeare.
Clip: S23 E2 | 1:24
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Secrets of the Dead
Experts Used Tree Rings to Date This Portrait to Shakespeare’s Lifetime
Dendrochronology reveals surprising results about Steven’s portrait of Shakespeare.
Clip: S23 E2 | 2:45
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Secrets of the Dead
Preview | China's Bronze Kingdom
The chance discovery of a jade artifact unearths an ancient Chinese city.
Preview: S23 E1 | 0:32
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Secrets of the Dead
The Black Death Journal
The haunting journal of Agnolo di Tura reveals the horrors of the Black Plague.
Clip: S22 E10 | 1:57
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Secrets of the Dead
The Pandemic That Killed Half of Europe
The Black Death may have killed nearly 50 percent of the Europe's population.
Clip: S22 E10 | 1:28
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Secrets of the Dead
How the Black Death Set Sail for Europe
In 1347, ships reached Sicily with the Black Death. In a year, it spread across Europe to England.
Clip: S22 E10 | 1:05
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Secrets of the Dead
Could This Be the Black Death’s Earliest Victim?
Ancient gravestones in Kyrgyzstan hint the Black Death began long before it reached Europe.
Clip: S22 E10 | 3:21
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After months decoding mysterious letters, codebreakers realize they may belong to Mary Stuart.
Clip: S22 E9 | 1:53
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