These are two portraits for history and saw the light this Tuesday, which star Felipe VI and Ms. Letizia under the prism of respected American photographer Annie Leibovitz. Commissioned to the artist by the Bank of Spain, it is time to carefully analyze all the details of the work, such as the spectacular styling that the Queen wears and which was created by the universal fashion genius Cristóbal Balenciaga.
© Jordi Puig / Antoni de Montpalau Foundation
© John Cazenave / Antoni de Montpalau FoundationOn one side is a sumptuous black dress in silk tulle and on the other a beautiful pink gala cape, two dresses lent to the king’s wife by the Fundació Antoni de Montpalau. They were donated to this organization by relatives of two different women who once owned unique pieces created by the Basque designer.
© Getty ImagesThey were the distinguished art collector and restorer Maria Juniente I Quincar, owner of the suite created in 1948; and noblewoman María del Carmen Ferrer-Cazigal, Countess of Toruela de Montgrí and Marchioness of Robert, who commissioned the cape to attend the wedding of King Juan Carlos and Sofia in Athens in 1962 as a guest. We explore the image and legacy of each of them.
© GTRES
© GTRESMaria Junient i Quinker, prominent collector and restorer with a great passion for dolls
He lived for almost a hundred years, from 1904-2001, with an important legacy that has perpetuated the history of collecting and restoration in Catalonia. Born in Barcelona, she was the daughter of the painters Sebastián Junient y Sans (1865 – 1908) and Paulina Quincar, and the sister of Albert, Montserrat and Adelina. From childhood, he showed an interest in culture and his paternal uncle Oleguer Junient also influenced his training.
He specialized in collecting dolls and automatons, one of the most important collections of his time. In addition, he worked as a theater costume designer, designing costumes for various productions and dedicated himself to the restoration of works of art, contributing to the preservation of Catalan cultural heritage. This is how it is collected at work Maria Junient, Woman and Collector, By Alba Prim Garcia (Academia.edu).
© GTRESHe assembled a collection of over two hundred antique dolls that have been preserved entirely by his descendants. He collaborated with his uncle as a set design assistant and especially in the restoration of medieval altarpieces and sculptures. But his main area of interest was historical clothing. In the 1920s, Maria Junient was honored at several editions of the Artistic Circle’s famous costume ball.
His most ambitious projects in costume design revolved around L’Alegria que Torna and the Barcelona Dramatic Group. During that period, he participated in the popular toy exhibition organized by the Friends of the Museum Association in 1954 at the Palacio de la Vieira. At that time he already had one of the most relevant collections of dolls in Barcelona.
© Bank of Spain / Annie LebowitzThe development of the antiquities market in the post-war years determined that Maria Juniente’s collection expanded again. The most notable aspect of this period is the collector’s interest in a new typology that defines the third branch of collecting: the automaton, typically French, from the second half of the 19th century.
As for the most notable pieces in the collection, several examples by the German firm Kämmer & Reinhardt, as well as other models, are so-called character dolls made of porcelain or celluloid. On the other hand, we also find an interesting sample of pieces from the Art Deco period: from dolls by Lafitte et Désirat to cloth dolls by Lensi or Rubio.
Interior designer Oleguer Armengol, Maria Junient’s son, later fitted out the family’s old studio for the doll collection. María Junient received this gift on her 90th birthday and it is currently open to the public, as stated on the Institut d’Estudies Catalan website.
In the 60s, Maria Junient and her family lived near the workshop of Cristóbal Balenciaga, who was commissioned to create the clothes she wore. Years later, Oleguer Armengol donated the dress to the Fundació Antoni de Montpalla, a piece that Queen Letizia now wears for Annie Leibovitz’s portrait.
© GTRESMaría del Carmen Ferrer-Cazigal, Countess of Toruela de Montgri
María del Carmen Ferrer-Cazigal Zorba was a prominent figure of the Spanish nobility, known by her title of Countess of Toruela de Montgri. She married Santiago de Robert y Rocamora, III Count of Torroella de Montgrí, and together they acquired the castle-palace of Peratallada in 1963. According to Digital Magazine, it is a charming medieval building located in the heart of the city of the same name in the province of Girona. Emporion.
The couple undertook a meticulous restoration of the castle that lasted eight years, resulting in a rehabilitation considered exemplary by experts. This initiative not only preserves valuable historical heritage, but also revitalizes Peratallada, attracts visitors and contributes to the tourism development of the area.
María del Carmen Ferrer-Cazigal and Santiago de Robert had two children: Alfonso de Robert y Ferrer-Cazigal, who succeeded his father as IV Count of Toruela de Montgri, and Carmen de Robert y Ferrer-Cazigal. The latter has been recognized for her contribution to the world of fashion, donating her mother’s aforementioned cape from 1962 and an evening dress from 1971 to the Antoni de Montpalau Foundation.
© GTRESMaria del Carmen Ferrer-Cazigal was also associated with the business world. He appeared as administrator of the company Decimonónico SL, although his position was withdrawn in July 2017. His legacy lives on in both the preservation of historical heritage and his family’s cultural and business contributions.
