Proclamation of the German Empire at Versailles

What it is

This painting by Anton von Werner, made in 1885, depicts the proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor at the Palace of Versailles in January 1871. This particular version was commissioned by the Prussian royal family as a gift for Bismarck's 70th birthday and is held at the Bismarck-Museum Friedrichsruh.

Why it matters

The painting became one of the best-known images of German unification, with Bismarck shown in white at the centre of the ceremony. It was painted fourteen years after the event, and the people in it are shown at the age they were in 1885, not 1871, which means the artist was creating a memory image rather than a record of the actual moment.

Look closer

• Why might the royal family have chosen this scene to honour Bismarck?
• What does the painting suggest about who the artist wanted viewers to see as important?
• How does knowing the figures are painted at their later ages change how you read the image?