A portrait of former German chancellor Angela Merkel, painted by Franco-German artist Jérémie Queyras, was unveiled at Berlin's Bode Museum in her presence on Tuesday, showing her in a bright blue blazer against a golden-brown background with a resolute yet thoughtful expression.
The painting is to be handed over to Chancellor Friedrich Merz for the chancellery in October - but only as a loan. Until then, it is to be on public display on Berlin's Museum Island, just a few metres from Merkel's home.
Merkel took her time before choosing the artist - now just 28 years old and from a family of musicians in the south-western city of Freiburg - last year.
Her departure from office after 16 years now lies almost five years in the past.
"I needed distance," Merkel said at the unveiling. She had not wanted the portrait to become just another item on a to-do list: "Rather I wanted to take pleasure in such a process," she said.
Traces of power on ex-chancellor's face
Merkel chose the blue blazer because the colour has something strong and commanding about it. For the same reason, she chose to be painted standing - unlike her predecessors - in a slightly larger-than-life format, depicted to the knees.
Strong light falls on her face, intended to bring out the "traces of power," as the description states. Her hands are not formed into the diamond shape she was known for in office. Her left hand rests on the arm of a chair.
The artist had applied to Merkel in writing by hand back in 2022, but then had to wait three years for the commission, which he says has changed his life.
"A portrait like this could only come about where there is trust," he said. He had wanted to do justice both to Merkel as a person and to her time in office. His goal had been to paint Merkel in a way that made her instantly recognizable, but also allowed people to see a new side of her.
The first floor of the Chancellery displays portraits of all chancellors up to Gerhard Schröder, who was painted by Jörg Immendorff in 2007.
Alongside Merkel's portrait, a painting of Olaf Scholz is also still missing. His office said he has not yet chosen an artist.
