The subtle message hidden behind the portrait of French President Macron

Emmanuel Macron's official portrait is said to break with tradition and contain many subtle messages about the 39-year-old new president's background and personality.

France released the official portrait of its new president, Emmanuel Macron, on June 29. The simple photo shows Mr. Macron standing in his office at the Elysee Palace in Paris and was taken by Soazig de la Moissonnière, 35, who has worked for the new president since the election campaign.

However, portraits of politicians are often filled with symbolism and this simple photo is no exception.

Symbolic objects

For Macron, a 39-year-old centrist and former banker who won a landslide victory in this year's presidential and parliamentary elections, the portrait is an opportunity to send a subtle message about his leadership.

The official portrait of President Emmanuel Macron is taken at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Photo: AP.

The clearest message is the flags on the side. The French national flag and the European Union (EU) flag are placed side by side, a sign of Mr Macron's pro-EU stance.

On the desk are carefully arranged symbolic objects. A clock that reads 8:20 at the time the photo was taken reflects what Mr. Macron has said about being in control of his own time and schedule. On the left of the photo is an inkwell depicting the Gallic rooster, the national animal of France.

Three books were placed on the table, one of which was open. The French press said the book was a memoir by Charles de Gaulle, the powerful figure who held the position of leader of France after World War II.

The other two books are Stendhal's "The Red and the Black" and Andre Gide's "The Nutrients of the World." "The Red and the Black" is a 19th-century novel that tells the story of an ambitious provincial boy during the political tensions leading up to the 1830 revolution. The other book is a collection of poems first published in 1897.

In addition, the presence of two mobile phones on the desk is also very noticeable. In a video posted on Twitter by Sibeth Ndiaye, spokeswoman for the Elysee Palace, Mr. Macron carefully placed the two phones on the table. This is probably the first time a mobile phone has been included in a photo of the French president.

Breaking tradition

The context of the photo also plays an important role in the message. French presidents have long had official portraits, but the context of each portrait has been different.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Mitterrand posed in the grand library of the Élysée Palace for a classic, formal and authoritative shot. Jacques Chirac and Francois Hollande posed outdoors for a more casual shot.

However, the 2012 portrait of Mr. Hollande did not bring the desired effect. Although taken by famous photographer Raymond Depardon, the photo became the subject of public ridicule.

"This is not a photo of the president, this is a photo of some guy in the garden," one person commented to the local newspaper.

The official portrait of French President François Hollande taken by photographer Raymond Depardon in 2012. Photo: AFP/Getty.

Mr. Macron did not stand in the library or in the garden, but chose to stand in his office with windows opening onto the garden outside. This not only broke with tradition but also cleverly incorporated both the inside and outside elements into the photo.

Commenting on Le Figaro, Jacky Isabello, co-founder of the media company Coriolink, said the way Mr. Macron leaned against his desk was reminiscent of a businessman, perhaps to show his pro-business leanings.

Macron's photo may not resemble that of other French presidents, but some journalists have pointed out that it looks similar to a portrait of President Barack Obama from 2012. This makes sense, since Obama expressed his support for Macron in May.

In addition, Mr. Obama is also a beloved figure in France. Therefore, if the new president imitates the portrait of the former US president, this is also understandable.

According to Zing.vn