Berlin museum extends display of Merkel portrait

A recently unveiled painting of former German chancellor Angela Merkel will be on display longer than original planned due to high demand, the Berlin museum exhibiting the artwork said on Friday.

Since the portrait went on display on July 1, visitor numbers have risen sharply, according to the Bode Museum in central Berlin.

Originally due to be displayed until October 4, the painting will now remain at the museum until January 3, 2027, the museum said.

After that, it will be loaned to the Chancellery.

Merkel, who led Germany for 16 years until December 2021, took her time to decide on an artist after she left office. "I needed distance," she said when the work was unveiled at the end of June.

The portrait was ultimately painted by the young Franco-German artist Jérémie Queyras who comes from a family of musicians in Freiburg, southern Germany, and had submitted a handwritten application to Merkel in 2022.

The painting depicts Merkel wearing a bright blue blazer against a golden-brown background.

Merkel is scheduled to visit the museum on October 4 and will be available to sign postcards depicting the portrait.