Merkel unveils official portrait for German chancellery

BERLIN: Former German chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday unveiled her portrait that will join those of her male predecessors in Berlin’s chancellery building. Merkel cut a ribbon to reveal the painting by French-German artist Jeremie Queyras at Berlin’s Bode Museum, where it will remain on display until October. It shows Merkel wearing one of her trademark blazers. According to the Die Zeit newspaper, Merkel sat for the portrait for a few months in a studio specially set up for the purpose in Berlin. “It’s strange when you slowly become history,” 71-year-old Merkel told the paper last week.