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Joaquina Dueñas
Thursday, 28 November 2024, 14:19
After nine months of anticipation, the Bank of Spain has presented the much awaited portraits of King Felipe and Queen Letizia, taken by the renowned American photographer Annie Leibovitz. The monarchs posed on 7 February at the Royal Palace as they were captured by the award-winning photographer, who won the 2013 Prince of Asturias award for communication and humanities.
The work consists of a diptych, featuring two printed photographs, created using UV-drying inks on primed polyester canvas. From Tuesday 26 November, the diptych forms part of the exhibition El Tiranía de Cronos, which will be open for public viewing from 27 November at the Bank of Spain.
The images have already become part of Spain’s history, with Queen Letizia choosing to celebrate art through art, wearing a unique piece by Cristóbal Balenciaga for the royal portrait. The dress is a fitted black evening gown, with a draped off-the-shoulder neckline and voluminous tulle skirt. The Queen completes the look with a large red silk shawl, adding a touch of colour and personality.
The dress design belongs to the private collection of Antoni de Montpalau, a foundation created by Josep Casamartina i Parassols and Anna M. Casanova, which houses a collection of over 6,000 pieces, including dresses, accessories, fabrics, sketches, photographs and documents. This institution, which featured in the documentary Balenciaga en Barcelona: una huella oculta, works to preserve and promote the work of major names in Spanish haute couture who chose Barcelona as their headquarters. Among them are Balenciaga, Manuel Pertegaz, who designed Queen Letizia’s wedding dress, Carmen Mir, Santa Eulalia, Pedro Rodríguez and others.
Curated by Yolanda Romero, the exhibition will also feature a portrait of Pablo Hernández de Cos, the former governor of the Bank of Spain, who stepped down last June. The display includes a selection of historic clocks from the Bank’s collection, along with around 50 works by 24 artists. Tapestries, paintings, photographs and sculptures make up the exhibition, in which the royal portrait is undoubtedly the most anticipated and widely discussed piece.
Annie Leibovitz is known for publishing photographs of some of Hollywood's most glittering stars for Vanity Fair magazine. Queen Elizabeth II also posed for her on two occasions, in 2007 and 2016.
This year, King Felipe and Queen Letizia celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and a decade on the throne, milestones that led to the creation of the portraits costing around 137,000 euros
The last official portrait of the King and Queen was taken by Spanish photographer Estela Castro in 2020, when she was commissioned to photograph not only the monarchs but also their daughters. One of the most discussed images from that session was a black-and-white, horizontal shot of Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía, originally a personal gift for their parents, which was later published.
The Bank of Spain’s collection includes portraits of emeritus King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, with two individual works by Carmen Laffón from 1987. It also features portraits of Charles IV and Maria Luisa of Parma, painted in the studio of Mariano Salvador Maella; Charles III, painted by Goya; and King Ferdinand VII, by Vicente López Portaña. Isabel II is represented by four portraits in this esteemed collection, created by Antonio Esquivel, José Gutiérrez de la Vega, Federico de Madrazo and Benito Soriano Murillo. Additionally, the collection includes portraits of young Alfonso XII and Alfonso XIII, by Carlos Luis Ribera and José Villegas. Leibovitz’s portrait of King Felipe and Queen Letizia has now been added to this legacy.
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