Experts call Shakespeare painting a fake

LONDON, April 22 (UPI) -- Experts with London's National Portrait Gallery say the so-called Flower Portrait of playwright William Shakespeare is a fake.

Allegedly painted in 1609, the experts have determined that it was actually done in the early 1800s, the BBC said Friday.

The experts spent four months using a combination of X-rays, ultraviolet examination, paint sampling and microphotography to determine that the pigment embedded deep in the painting could only have come from the early 19th century.

"We now think the portrait dates back to around 1818 to 1840, exactly the time when there was a resurgence of interest in Shakespeare's plays," said a spokeswoman.