London, Mar 8 : A portrait which was painted in 1610 and owned by a family for nearly three centuries will be claimed as the only known picture of William Shakespeare painted during his lifetime.

The declaration, which will be made tomorrow, shall be supported by the world's foremost expert on Shakespeare, Stanley Wells, emeritus professor of Shakespeare studies at Birmingham University and general editor of the Oxford Shakespeare series for 30 years.

The portrait has been in the possession of the Cobbe family since the early 18th century. It was initially kept at a property in Hampshire but more recently in Hatchlands, the family house in Surrey, reports The Times.

For three centuries the family was unsure of the identity of the figure in the portrait.

According to Alec Cobbe, an art restorer, at one time it had been thought to be of Sir Walter Raleigh.

Cobbe has used a variety of tests and scientific imaging to check if it is an original or has been altered from its original composition. (ANI)