Portraiture and the construction of “charismatic leadership”

During the history of Western art, the link between portraits and status or power has been widely documented. Commissioned portraits have been traditionally the privilege of certain groups and individuals occupying positions of authority (West, 2004). The possibility of understanding portraits as a tool for what Weber has called the “routinization of charisma” offers an interesting avenue to link portraits and the field of leadership studies. This chapter aims at presenting some elements of the analysis of portraiture as a form of art that can illuminate the understanding of leadership in contemporary organizational studies. The questions inspiring this chapter include: a. How portraiture can reveal aspects of leadership in Western cultures? b. Which notions of leadership are highlighted through portraits in contemporary culture? c. What are the contributions of art history in the analysis of images of leadership?