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Merkel's Secret Portrait Sessions Revealed
3 Jul
Summary
- Angela Merkel secretly posed for a young artist over several months.
- The former chancellor personally funded her official portrait.
- The painting captures Merkel's characteristic unease and subtle details.
Over several months, Angela Merkel, the former German Chancellor, met secretly with 28-year-old artist Jérémie Queyras in a Berlin studio for her portrait commission. The artist described their sessions as a "little adventure," involving conversations and shared music. Merkel reportedly funded the portrait herself, ensuring her ownership and the ability to reclaim it if necessary.
The painting, now displayed at Berlin's Bode-Museum, depicts Merkel in a blue blazer, her expression suggesting the lingering effects of her 16 years in leadership. Queyras, initially uncertain about the commission, was encouraged by an acquaintance and gained access to the chancellery's gallery of past leaders for inspiration. The artwork features subtle details from Merkel's office desk, including a file and a cube engraved with her motto "In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft" ("In serenity strength lies").
Queyras aimed to capture Merkel from a new perspective, moving beyond her famous hand gesture to depict her resting hands more casually. The portrait, on view until October, will later move to the chancellery, hanging near Gerhard Schröder's portrait. This unveiling occurs amid a notable wave of nostalgia for Merkel's chancellorship in Germany.
