From Iron Lady’s portrait to Mutti Angela’s photography: the iconic treatment of German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Abstract

The research presented in these pages rests on the photography’s denotation power, as well as on the usefulness of the content analysis technique in order to clarify which is Angela Merkel’s representation. So as to, five Spanish newspapers are analysed during 2015. Specifically, the prevalent intention is to check if the characteristic features of an extemporaneous metaphor —as it is the role of Iron Lady— pervade the image projected by the mainstream press onto the German Chancellor. In addition, it is investigated whether the attributed attitudes coexist with traditional female interpretation features. Moreover, at the end of the article, the use of an identification table is proposed. It would help to recognize if a picture responds to the idiosyncrasies of the two most common roles linked to Merkel.