Bismarck, sitzend

Franz von Lenbach's 'Bismarck, sitzend' (Bismarck Seated, 1888) is one of his several seated portraits of the Chancellor — the full-figure format creating a more elaborate compositional challenge than his many bust and half-length treatments. The seated Bismarck allowed Lenbach to address the relationship between the powerful figure and the space he occupied, the Chancellor's physical presence within a defined spatial context conveying authority through composition as well as physiognomy. By 1888, Lenbach had painted Bismarck numerous times and had developed an intimate knowledge of the Chancellor's appearance.

Lenbach renders the seated Bismarck with his characteristic tonal authority — the figure's spatial relationship to the chair and setting creating compositional depth beyond his simpler bust treatments. His old-master-inspired technique models the face and hands with particular care, these being the primary expressive elements within the larger figure composition. The treatment of the Chancellor's uniform and the spatial recession around the figure demonstrates his compositional command.