The art of the political portrait: Emmanuel Macron boxing photos flaunt his strength

The clenched teeth. The furrowed brow. The bulging biceps.

Europeans raised their eyebrows when two moody black and white photos of French President Emmanuel Macron letting loose on a punching bag were posted to Instagram by his official photographer, Soazig de la Moissonnière.

In no time, social media users couldn't help but draw comparisons between Macron and the legendary fictional boxer Rocky Balboa.

Others couldn't resist poking fun at the timing of these images, which emerged as Macron urged Europe to toughen up its response to Russia's actions in Ukraine. Some even playfully speculated that Macron might be gearing up for a showdown with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who's no stranger to showing off his own athletic prowess in photoshoots.

But this is nothing new. Politics and portraiture have long been intertwined. From majestic paintings of the past to candid snapshots, let's take a brief look at a few others examples of how those in power have used portraiture to their advantage.

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Napoleon the Great

From one Frenchman to another.

Jacques-Louis David's dramatic portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte astride a wild stallion has transcended its status as mere artwork to become an enduring symbol of Napoleon's military prowess during the tumultuous Napoleonic Wars.

The painting helped elevate the Little Corporal into an almost mythical hero in the eyes of many in French society.

While David's work is probably the most famous representations of Napoleon, it is just one among many commissioned during his reign. Napoleon's era saw a proliferation of portraits, with the French state actively commissioning painters and sculptors to produce hundreds of images depicting the leader in various poses and settings.

Majestic monarchs

The British royal family also employed a similar approach over time.

In what is perhaps the most iconic depiction of Henry VIII, Hans Holbein the Younger, originally from Germany, painted this portrait of the English King in 1537, just a year after he was appointed his official painter.

It's the ultimate display of the monarch's authority and grandeur.

His commanding posture, standing proudly upright while richly dressed and directly looking at the viewer, exudes an air of dominance. With legs spread apart and arms held at his sides, he holds a stance reminiscent of a warrior.

Originally showcased as part of the Whitehall Mural, depicting the Tudor dynasty at the Palace of Whitehall, Westminster, the artwork was destroyed in the flames of a fire in 1698.

Humanising the politician

Here's a notable example of a contemporary painted portrait: artist Colin Davidson, from Northern Ireland, undertook the task of portraying German Chancellor Angela Merkel for Time magazine in 2015.

Diverging from the typical rigidity often associated with political portraiture, Davidson's approach aimed to uncover the depth of humanity beneath Merkel's public persona.

"What I wanted to do was to portray that, so that whenever people looked at her face and looked into her eyes in the portrait a sense of empathy and compassion would come through," said Davidson.

The Roaring Lion

Now we move into the realm of photography.

Yousuf Karsh's World War II portrait of Winston Churchill, taking during World War II, is a perfect example of how a photograph can capture the mood and essence of an influential figure.

The photo session lasted a mere two minutes, as Karsh recalled, "He was in no mood for portraiture and two minutes were all that he would allow me."

In a daring move, Karsh snatched a cigar from Churchill's mouth, resulting in a photograph where Churchill appeared fiercely hostile. Karsh later reflected, "By the time I got back to my camera, he looked so belligerent he could have devoured me."

Churchill's posture and expression mirror the prevailing wartime sentiments in the UK, symbolising persistence in the face of an all-conquering enemy.

The USC Fisher Museum of Art hailed the portrait as a "defiant and scowling portrait [which] became an instant icon of Britain's stand against fascism."

Putin on a pony

Finally, we come to this elaborate photoshoot from 2009 of a bare-chested Putin riding a horse through the Siberian wilderness, depicting him as a rugged Russian outdoorsman.

While for many the picture might evoke amusing parallels with a James Bond-esque supervillain, for Russians, it resonates more deeply with the heroic figures of the country's folklore who rode horses and protected the nation from external threats.

"They are trying to play on Russian folk traditions," said Yevgenia Albats, editor of the political magazine New Times.

"The message is: I am the master of the Russian universe," she said. "I go to our roots, to nature, the land that is not occupied by anyone. I am the one and only warrior in these lands."

Many have drawn comparisons between Macron's boxing photographs and this exhibition of machismo.