This wonderful portrait of John Gielgud has been signed by the late, great actor himself. The piece actually comes from the little known 1986 film The Canterville Ghost - however, as it shows Sir John in traditional theatrical dress, it really is a most collectable item. 

Sir John Gielgud is a highly distinguished and prolific performer who is considered to be one of the finest actors of his generation. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Gielgud played his first Hamlet in 1930 and quickly established himself as one of the most eminent Shakespearean interpreters of his time, as well as a respected director.

He made his screen debut in 1924 in Who Is The Man? and appeared in Hitchcock's Secret Agent in 1936 as well as several Shakespearian adaptations such as Julius Caesar in 1953 and Olivier's Richard III in 1955. Since the late 1960s he has increasingly appeared in character roles. Other film credits include: St Joan; Becket (for which he was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of King Louis VII of France); The Charge Of The Light Brigade; Oh What A Lovely War; The Elephant Man; Arthur; Chariots of Fire; Gandhi; Scandalous; The Far Pavilions; Plenty; The Whistleblower;  Arthur and First Knight . The more recent of his numerous television credits included the BBC's acclaimed series Brideshead Revisited;  Oedipus; War and Remembrance; Quartermain's Terms; A Man For All Seasons; Dante and Virgil; Scarlett; and Inspector Alleyn.

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John Gielgud was knighted in 1953. He is true acting legend - one of only eight people ever to win an Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy and a Tony. He died on 21 May 2000 in his home in Buckinghamshire - his legacy and reputation will live on for many decades to come.

"What is fun about the theatre is that we get our prizes while we are alive to enjoy them. We have the pleasure of the audience's reaction, we have the applause, we have the publicity, we have the tribute and the honours and whatever it may be. Much more than we probably deserve."