Lena Rivera
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been the subject of many paintings and portraits throughout her tenure. Colin Davidson's portrait of Merkel, which was featured on the cover of Time magazine after she was named Person of the Year in 2015, is one of the most well-known. Other notable portraits include those by Elizabeth Peyton, Herlinde Koelbl, and Kaya Mar. Merkel has also been painted by George W. Bush, who took up painting after leaving office, and has expressed her admiration for the work of Expressionist painter Emil Nolde, although she later removed two of his paintings from her office due to his association with the Nazis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Colin Davidson |
| Medium | Oil paint |
| Subject | Angela Merkel |
| Title | "Angela" |
| Magazine | Time |
| Issue | Year-end issue, 2015 |
| Reason for selection | Merkel was named Person of the Year |
| Other artists who have painted Merkel | Elizabeth Peyton, Herlinde Koelbl, George W. Bush |
| Paintings removed from Merkel's office | Two oil paintings by Emil Nolde |
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What You'll Learn
- Angela Merkel removed two paintings by Emil Nolde from her office
- Colin Davidson's portrait of Merkel was featured on the cover of Time magazine
- Elizabeth Peyton's portrait of Merkel was featured in Vogue
- Merkel has been photographed annually by Herlinde Koelbl since 1991
- Merkel has been painted by satirical artist Kaya Mar
Angela Merkel removed two paintings by Emil Nolde from her office
In 2019, German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to remove two paintings by Expressionist painter Emil Nolde from her office. The decision was widely discussed in the German media and was seen as a symbolic gesture of rejecting an artist with a Nazi past. One of the paintings, "Breakers" (1936), depicted crashing dark green waves against a fiery evening sky, while the other, from 1915, showed a flower garden.
Nolde was an Expressionist painter whose work was admired by Merkel. However, it was also known that he had sought approval from Adolf Hitler and supported the idea of banishing Jews from the country. The decision to remove the paintings came after art historian Felix Krämer questioned the appropriateness of hanging Nolde's works in the chancellery, given the artist's political leanings.
While Merkel's motivation for the removal was not explicitly stated, it was interpreted as a belated official rejection of Nolde and his ideology. Krämer supported Merkel's decision, praising her swift response to the issue. However, some, like Fulda, were unsure if the paintings truly warranted such action, suggesting that Merkel could have used them as a teaching moment about Germany's complex past.
Emil Nolde had a complex relationship with the Nazi regime. While he aspired to be an official state artist and had supporters among the National Socialists, his work was also criticized as "alien to the people." Hitler himself despised Nolde's art, referring to him as "that pig Nolde" in 1933. Despite this, Nolde continued to seek approval from the Nazis, even misrepresenting the extent of his work being banned by the regime in his memoirs.
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Colin Davidson's portrait of Merkel was featured on the cover of Time magazine
In 2015, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was named Time magazine's Person of the Year. The cover of the magazine featured an oil portrait of Merkel by the award-winning artist Colin Davidson. Davidson's painting of Merkel was a significant departure from his usual process, as he did not meet Merkel in person but instead took inspiration from photos, footage, and books about her. This presented a unique challenge for Davidson, who had previously only painted subjects after spending time with them in person. To capture Merkel's likeness, he studied her photographs and chose to highlight the wrinkles around her eyes that appear when she smiles. The final portrait, which took about six weeks to complete, depicts Merkel with a slight upward turn to the left corner of her mouth, capturing the warmth and pride that Germans associate with their chancellor, affectionately nicknamed "Mutti" (Mommy).
Davidson's portrait of Merkel is particularly notable for how it captures her character and international image. The painting reveals a woman who is proud of her work, with a subtle smile playing on her lips. This warmth and humanity are further emphasised by the wrinkles around her eyes, which suggest a person who smiles often. Davidson's decision to focus on these specific wrinkles, rather than those that appear when she is exhausted, adds to the sense of Merkel as a leader who is content and fulfilled by her work. This interpretation aligns with Merkel's image as a leader who has steered her country through numerous crises and embraced a humanitarian approach to asylum-seekers during the European migrant crisis.
The portrait also captures a sense of strength and resilience in Merkel's character. While the painting depicts her in a moment of calm and contentment, the year it was created was one of unparalleled challenges for the chancellor. In 2015, Merkel faced the European migrant crisis and the Greek bailout negotiations, demonstrating her ability to lead with resolve during difficult times. Davidson's portrait, therefore, becomes a visual representation of Merkel's strength and determination, capturing both her character and the impact she has had on the world during her tenure as chancellor.
The choice to feature Davidson's portrait of Merkel on the cover of Time magazine was a significant recognition of her influence and impact on a global scale. As one of the world's most influential publications, Time's decision to name Merkel Person of the Year and showcase Davidson's painting on its cover underscored the chancellor's pivotal role in shaping world events. The portrait, with its subtle yet powerful depiction of Merkel, served as a fitting visual representation of her leadership and impact, solidifying her place in the historical context of the time.
Colin Davidson's portrait of Angela Merkel is a testament to his skill as an artist and his ability to capture the essence of his subject without meeting them in person. Through his painting, Davidson humanised one of the most powerful women in the world, offering a glimpse into the warmth, strength, and determination that have defined her tenure as Germany's chancellor. The fact that the portrait graced the cover of Time magazine further emphasised Merkel's global influence and the pivotal role she played during a tumultuous year in world events.
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Elizabeth Peyton's portrait of Merkel was featured in Vogue
Elizabeth Peyton is an American artist known for infusing the ancient art of portraiture with a new life. Her idealized, highly stylized oil paintings, drawings, and watercolours are driven by the emotional, adoring eye of an unrequited lover. Early in her career, she spoke of the theme of her work as being 'love'.
In 2017, Vogue magazine commissioned Peyton to paint a portrait of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The magazine usually photographs its subjects, but Merkel's office offered only limited access. The resultant portrait, titled "Angela", was created from existing photographs of the Chancellor. In it, Merkel's blue eyes stare directly at the viewer, and her mouth is tilted in a slight smile. The artist noticed how much Merkel's face had changed in the past few years and chose to depict the 63-year-old as a younger, thinner woman.
Peyton told the New York Times:
> I noticed how much her face changed in the last two years, especially in the last two months – there was such pain visible. I was really conscious of that... Her face is so determined and tender, there is this hopefulness that leadership could lead you to a better place. I was feeling one of her biggest strengths is her humanity; there is just nothing like that in my world that I see right now. It’s like a superpower.
The portrait accompanied a profile of Merkel in the August 2017 issue of Vogue, titled "How Angela Merkel Became the Most Powerful Woman in the World".
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Merkel has been photographed annually by Herlinde Koelbl since 1991
German photographic artist, author, and documentary filmmaker Herlinde Koelbl has been photographing Angela Merkel annually since 1991. Koelbl's work is characterised by long-term photographic projects, often complemented by in-depth interviews. She is particularly interested in creating portraits of milieus and people. Merkel has been photographed and interviewed by Koelbl annually since 1991, with a break between 1999 and 2006. Merkel's yearly portraits with Koelbl resumed after she became Germany's first female federal chancellor in 2005 and continued until the end of her final term in 2021.
Koelbl's portraits of Merkel are part of her project "Traces of Power," which examines how the lives and appearances of 15 high-ranking politicians and businesspeople changed over eight years. The portraits were taken in front of a white wall with no props, allowing the subject's body language to speak freely. Koelbl also interviewed Merkel, asking her the same three questions each year: "What have you learned this year?", "What have you unlearned?", and "Did you find the time to bake a plum cake?".
In addition to Merkel, Koelbl has photographed and interviewed other notable individuals, including ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and ex-Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Her work has been exhibited at various museums in Germany and published in several books and documentary films. Koelbl has received numerous awards for her photographic work, including the Dr Erich Salomon Prize in 2001. She has also worked as an author and photographer for ZEIT magazine since 2009.
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Merkel has been painted by satirical artist Kaya Mar
While it is unclear which painting hangs in Angela Merkel's office, the chancellor has been painted by satirical artist Kaya Mar. Mar is a London-based painter and caricaturist who creates political pictures to express his anger about politics and politicians. He describes himself as an "angry old man" and says that "satire is the biggest weapon".
Mar's work covers dozens of British politicians, including Jeremy Corbyn, Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Diane Abbott, Theresa May, Iain Duncan Smith, and Angela Merkel. He also painted former US President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden. In addition, he has portrayed members of the British Royal Family, including Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, as the Virgin Mary with a halo, in a style reminiscent of Middle Ages art.
Mar's work is often displayed outside Parliament on Wednesday mornings during Prime Minister's Questions. He regularly attracts members of the public and photojournalists with his silent protests. His work has also been published in the international press and is displayed in the Museum of London, as well as in galleries and museums worldwide.
One of Mar's most striking pieces was created in response to news of Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott's affair in 2015. The painting shows them both naked with copies of Das Kapital and the Kama Sutra. Mar has also depicted former Prime Minister David Cameron sitting on the toilet with Nick Clegg dressed as a court jester.
Mar does not "keep sides" in his work but instead "attacks power". He states that he does not "hate anybody" but rather targets "the institution or who represents the institution".
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Frequently asked questions
Angela Merkel had two paintings by Emil Nolde in her office, one called "Breakers" and another depicting a flower garden. However, she decided to take them down due to the artist's affiliation with the Nazis.
Colin Davidson and Elizabeth Peyton created portraits of Angela Merkel for magazine profiles in Time and Vogue. Former US President George W. Bush has also painted Merkel, with his rendering displayed at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas.
Colin Davidson's portrait of Angela Merkel was created without meeting her in person. He took inspiration from photos, footage, and books about Merkel, focusing on capturing her in a natural light.
The "Merkel diamond" refers to a pose where the chancellor rests her hands in front of her stomach. It was popularised by photographer Herlinde Koelbl, who captured Merkel's portraits annually since 1991 (with an interval between 1999 and 2006).
Angela Merkel has shown an interest in art beyond just paintings. She has granted rare interviews to artists, such as photographer Herlinde Koelbl, and has been photographed by Kaya Mar, who carried a painting of Merkel across Pariser Platz in 2009. Merkel has also been involved in exhibition openings, such as the Vermeer Exhibition in Dresden.
