Two days after we found out that the long lost bones of Richard III were found in a parking lot, 528 years after his death, we can now 'meet' him. Or, more precisely, we can take a look at a 3D-printed reproduction of his face.
The project, funded by the Richard III Society, was led by Caroline Wilkinson, Professor of Craniofacial Identification at the University of Dundee. She used 3D scanning and printing, with a technique called stereolithography, to reconstruct Richard III's head, based on his actual remains. An artist, guided by Wilkinson, then painted the colorless head and added glass eyes, a wig, a hat and the appropriate clothes.
"It was a great privilege for us all in the Dundee team to work on this important investigation," said Professor Wilkinson. "It has been enormously exciting to rebuild and visualize the face that could be Richard III, and this depiction may allow us to see the King in a different light."
Richard III has always been one of the most mysterious and vilified kings in British history. The eponymous Shakespeare play attributed many crimes to the monarch, including having his two young nephews killed to secure his spot on the throne. Historically, he's always been portrayed as a malformed, hideous person.
This 3D-printed replica of his face seems to contradict at least the claims about his appearance. "It's an interesting face, younger and fuller than we have been used to seeing, less careworn, and with the hint of a smile," said Phil Stone, chairman of the Richard III Society, which has worked on the archaeological search for his remains, and has always refuted Shakespeare's version of history.
The reconstruction will eventually be placed at the visitor center, adjacent to the parking lot where his skull was found, that the city of Leicester is planning to build to tell the story of Richard III.
Images courtesy of Richard III Society