The subtle message hidden behind the portrait of French President Macron.

The official portrait of Emmanuel Macron is said to break with tradition and contains many subtle messages about the background and personality of the 39-year-old president.

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

However, portraits of politicians often contain many symbolic meanings, and this simple photograph is no exception.

Symbolic objects

For Macron, a 39-year-old centrist politician and former banker who won overwhelmingly in this year's presidential and parliamentary elections, the portrait is an opportunity to subtly convey a message about his leadership position.

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

The clearest message is conveyed by the flags placed side-by-side. The French flag and the European Union (EU) flag are positioned at the same level, a clear indication of Macron's pro-EU stance.

On the desk are carefully arranged symbolic objects. A clock showing 8:20 at the time the photo was taken reflects Macron's words about mastering his own time and schedule. To the left of the photo is an inkwell shaped like a Gallic rooster, the national animal of France.

Three books were placed on the table, one of which was open. French newspapers reported that this book was the memoir of Charles de Gaulle, the powerful figure who held the leadership position in France after World War II.

The other two books are "The Red and the Black" by Stendhal and "The Nourishment of the Earth" by Andre Gide. "The Red and the Black" is a 19th-century novel about an ambitious provincial boy during the political turmoil 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 his desk is also noteworthy. In a video posted on Twitter by Sibeth Ndiaye, spokesperson for the Elysee Palace, Macron carefully placed the two phones on the desk. This is perhaps the first time mobile phones have been included in a photograph of the French president.

Breaking with tradition

The context of the photograph also plays a significant role in conveying the message. French presidents have long had official portraits taken, but the setting of each portrait has been different.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Mitterrand posed for a photo in the Élysée Palace's grand library for a formal and authoritative, classically styled image. Jacques Chirac and Francois Hollande posed outdoors for a more casual photograph.

However, Hollande's 2012 portrait did not have the desired effect. Despite being taken by the renowned photographer Raymond Depardon, the photo became a subject of public ridicule.

"This isn't 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 was taken by photographer Raymond Depardon in 2012. Photo: AFP/Getty.

Macron chose not to stand in a library or a garden, but rather in his office with a window opening onto the garden outside. This not only broke with tradition but also cleverly incorporated both indoor and outdoor elements into the photograph.

Commenting in Le Figaro, Jacky Isabello, co-founder of the media company Coriolink, said that Macron's posture leaning against his desk was reminiscent of a businessman, perhaps to show his pro-business leanings.

Macron's photo may not resemble those of other French presidents, but some journalists have pointed out that it looks like a portrait of President Barack Obama from 2012. This is quite plausible, given that Obama expressed his support for Macron back in May.

Furthermore, Obama is also a well-liked figure in France. Therefore, it would be understandable if the new president were to emulate the former US president.

According to Zing.vn