Merkel the human: Instagram account aims to show relaxed side of the German chancellor

Politicians are always looking into how to improve their public image, especially in the run-up to major elections.

Now one Instagram user has taken it upon herself to make the German Chancellor Angel Merkel seem more human.

Merkel's best 'looks' are being shared through the Instagram account merkellooks, and range from black-and-white shots of a teenage Merkel, to peering into a microscope and holding a hotdog.

The account has been running since early February and now has more than 13,000 followers.

It was created by Alana Johnson, an American artist and librarian based in Los Angeles, to show a more human side to an otherwise serious public figure.

The artist had already created a similar account for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate in the US 2016 presidential election, called hillarylooks.

She developed the account in June 2016 during Clinton's presidential campaign, which she had hoped to work for but could not due to illness.

She told the Local.de why she set up the account, saying that she needed the "distraction" and it helps keep her "sane" while taking her mind off the Trump administration.

Johnson explained why the German leader needed humanising, she said: "Her popularity has suffered because of her refugee policy (among other things, obviously, but this seems to be one of the more salient reasons), and obviously, the European Union is fraying right now.

"I've come to think of the term 'humanising' as a bit strange, but there are people who seriously think politicians are secretly lizards, so whatever.

"Merkel seems to be taken for granted a bit, and as an American I'm in awe that she's managed to hold on to power as long as she has. I'm jealous of countries that manage to elect female leaders."

In September, Merkel will lead her Christian Democrat conservatives into the polls for the fourth time.

Her main opponent with be the left-wing SPD part lead by the former EU Parliament President Martin Schulz.

Recent polls have put Merkel ahead of Schulz but with almost five months to go it is expected to be a tight fight for the chancellery.