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Experts 'rebuild' composer's face

The face of Johann Sebastian Bach has been recreated by experts at Dundee University more than 250 years after the German composer's death.

It is believed that only one portrait he sat for still exists.

However, forensic artists at the university built up a picture of his appearance using a bronze cast of his skull and documents from the time.

The face will go on display at the Bachhaus museum in Bach's hometown of Eisenach next month.

Dr Caroline Wilkinson, from the Centre for Forensic and Medical Art, explained how they worked out the composer's features. "We carried out a laser scan of the skull which allowed us to recreate the musculature and skin of the face on our computer system," she said. "By assessing the bone structure we can determine facial morphology and produce an accurate picture of his facial appearance."

The team then used an existing portrait of Bach, and documents which described how his eye problems caused swollen eyelids, to start texturing the face.

Dr Wilkinson said: "This is really the most complete face that can be built from the available reliable information.

"As far as we can ascertain, this is how Bach would have looked."

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