Kit's Portrait

This portrait is believed to be of Christopher Marlowe. It was discovered at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1953 and required extensive restoration work.

The age of the sitter and date of the portrait as inscribed in the top-left corner match Marlowe, who was born in February 1564, and who attended the College between 1580 to 1587. The inscription reads ANNO DNI AETATIS SVAE 21 1585 - "Aged 21 in 1585".

Title.

Beneath the protrait is inscribed the motto, QVOD ME NVTRIT ME DESTRVIT, which translates from the Latin as "that which nourishes me destroys me".