Researchers in California have used facial recognition technology to identify a likely portrait of Anne Boleyn, the executed queen of Henry VIII. The Nidd Hall painting, held at Bradford Art Galleries and Museums, was compared with the only known contemporary likeness of Boleyn, the Moost Happi medal at the British Museum.
The computer program, developed by Amit Roy-Chowdhury at the University of California, Riverside, analysed anatomical dimensions and distinctive features such as eyebrow shape. It found a close match between the medal and the Nidd Hall portrait, which has long been debated as either Boleyn or her successor, Jane Seymour.
Roy-Chowdhury, who collaborated with art historian Conrad Rudolph, trained the system on known faces before scanning unknown paintings. The technology also suggested it may have identified the earliest portrait of astronomer Galileo Galilei, but failed to confirm other art historical theories, such as Caravaggio depicting Michelangelo or Andrea Mantegna including self-portraits in his works.
The findings, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, offer new evidence in ongoing debates about historical portraits. However, the system could not resolve the identity of three disputed paintings of William Shakespeare.
