WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare was baptized 26 April 1564 died 23 April 1616

Who was William Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright.
Why is William Shakespeare famous? Because Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. A lot of what he wrote is still read and performed today you only have to go to the Globe Theatre near the Millenium Bridge and the Tate Modern to see some of his work performed live. He wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems.
Shakespeares Life
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway and together they had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. They lived in a beautiful house situated in the village of Shottery, Warwickshire, England, and about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Stratford-upon-Avon. Although it is often called a cottage, it is, in fact, a spacious twelve-roomed farmhous. The visible timber framing, a trademark of vernacular Tudor style architecture

1585 -1592, Shakespeare worked in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men.

His famous works are:

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Macbeth
Twelfth Night
Hamlet
Romeo and Juliet
Julius Caesar

For more information use the official website: http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/

THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

This outstanding exhibition, the first of its kind in the UK, tells the story of the Indian portrait over three centuries, exploring the fascinating ways in which Indian artists have approached the depiction of the human form and the changing role of portraiture in Indian history. Bringing together 60 stunning works from international collections, the exhibition will celebrate the beauty, power and humanity of these works of art.

The exhibition has works from the Mughal Court, including some of the earliest realistic portraits made for the Emperors Humayun (r.1530–56) and Akbar (r.1556–1605) and these magnificent court portraits made for their successors Jahangir (r.1605–27) and Shah Jahan (r.1628–58), as well as studies of Mughal courtiers, holy men and servants. The distinctive regional styles from Rajasthan and the Punjab Hills are also shown in conjunction with the European–influenced pieces produced by Indian artists under British rule.

These paintings are a rich and complex history record, embracing influences from Iran and Europe as well as local Hindu and Muslim traditions, showing that the Indian portrait can stand side by side with outstanding examples of portraiture from around the world.

Contemporary artists, The Singh Twins, will explore themes from the exhibition with a display of work in the Studio Gallery.

For more information here´s the web page:http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson.php