The Bank of Spain is just hours away from releasing the most artistic portrait of the monarchs from American photographer Annie Leibovitz, author of one of the world’s most prestigious and most iconic images of the 20th century. . This Tuesday will be when the spectacular snapshots of Don Felipe and Dona Letizia will see the light, however, the bank held a special screening for the press and Hola.com is present at this presentation. We tell you some of the details that caught our attention about these impressive photographs that are causing so much excitement.
© House of His Majesty the King / Estella de CastroThe first thing that strikes when looking at the portraits, the first thing that the Bank of Spain commissions the kings to photograph, is their large size. It has been a tradition since the creation in 1782 of the Banco de San Carlos, one of the predecessor institutions of the Bank of Spain, that monarchs are immortalized by a famous artist. In this case it is a diptych, that is, Don Felipe and Dona Letizia are posed separately, but the artist considered that the works should be seen and placed together. The King wears a military uniform, while the Queen wears pieces by renowned Spanish haute couture designer Cristóbal Balenciaga.
Both Philip VI and Queen Letizia posed a lot with different outfits for this exceptional report, the King wearing three different outfits and the Queen posing with different jewels, although always wearing the same outfit she chose from the Balenciaga master. , but with the guidelines set by the photographer.
In the Royal Palace, the two posed in the same room, which Lebowitz wanted to highlight as another element of his work, inspired by the great masters of Spanish painting such as Velázquez and his Meninas, where natural light and chiaroscuro are the hallmarks. The portrait of Carmen Lafon King Juan Carlos and Sofia also has some inspiration. Rather than being photographs, they look like paintings, works that are “highly pictorial, enveloped, made on fabric, printed in the United States and a unique edition,” as Bank of Spain curator Yolanda Romero advanced. The author had full freedom to do this assignment and It was he who decided on the two images that would go down in history.
© House of HM the King / Estella de CastroBefore they head to their final destination, the Governing Council Room of the Bank of Spain, these snapshots will form part of the exhibition. The Tyranny of Cronuswhich will be open to the public from this Wednesday and where the historical clocks that the institution preserves can be observed by visitors
An ‘intense and calm’ six-hour photo session
Annie Leibovitz used a digital camera to take these spectacular portraits, and the session, held on February 7, lasted about six hours, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including a lunch break. “The queen arrived a little before the king and the atmosphere was calm, because they knew each other, and although the session was intense, it was also calm,” Romero said.
© Carlos AlvarezIt must be remembered that the King and the graphic artist have known each other for years, when he was awarded the 2013 Prince of Asturias Prize in the Communication and Humanities category. The Kings are big fans of Annie Leibovitz, who Don Felipe defined him as a “universal” photographer. and a man “who developed his work with more intensity and a more aesthetic sense.” All his works, he says, “become a stunning spectacle, a sculptural image, full of beauty.”
© Getty ImagesThe Connecticut artist had a crew of five and took hundreds of photos. “Annie Leibovitz is very meticulous, she did a lot of testing and even chose the frame,” recalls Romero, who explained that several scenes were considered, including outside the Royal Palace, but the photographer was impressed with the room he finally decided on. Makes kings immortal.
© GtresThe work cost 137,000 euros and the image rights are shared between the Bank of Spain and Leibovitz. It was the artist’s agent, Karen Mulligan, who signed the contract on September 23, 2023. 20% of this amount was disbursed at the time of agreeing and 80% was received with final acceptance and delivery of work.
© GTRESIn October 2022, the process of this historic commission began and “The kings quickly accepted the offer.” Both King and Annie Leibovitz are scheduled to have their portraits later, and of course, the three of them together, though no date has been set yet. In these images, the photographer achieved his motto: “Let my portraits withstand the passage of time.”
