While the original painting is being restored and analysed, a life-sized replica is currently on display at Penshurst Place, as part of a new exhibition named ‘Who Are the Two Boys?
Philip Sidney, heir to Penshurst Place, says records suggest “the painting has been in Penshurst since 1973”.
“It’s been on public display since 1947, but it’s only recently that we’ve been getting a lot more questions about it,” he said.
The painting has no known connection to Penshurst and while the identities of the subjects remain unknown, Sidney says they can only “speculate about the connection with the family”.
The original painting will return to Kent after its 18 months on public display at the National Portrait Gallery, which will run from September until March 2028.
