After more than nine months, the Bank of Spain revealed this Tuesday the portraits of Felipe and Letizia which he commissioned from the American photographer Annie Leibovitz and that they will become part of the collection that the institution has had of other kings since 1782.
The large photographs were taken on February 7 at the Royal Palacespecifically in the Gasparini Hall, where Charles III held his private audiences. Leibovitz had several rooms in the palace at his disposal and finally decided on this room to immortalize the kings.
Portrait of Annie Leibovitz of Philip VI
For the occasion, Felipe VI wears the Army’s gala uniformwhile the Queen Letizia has chosen a black haute couture strapless tulle dress by Cristobal Balenciaga. It is an archival piece and it is the first time that the consort wears a garment by the Basque designer, proof of the importance of the portrait.
In addition to the dress, the queen wears a voluminous fuchsia shawl. Both Balenciaga garments are part of the Antoni de Montpalau collection, in Sabadell. Contrary to what was expected, the queen has not been photographed with no tiara But she has chosen two pieces of jewelry from the batch of passing jewelry that Queen Victoria Eugenia bequeathed to the crown: the chaton necklace and earrings.
Portrait by Annie Leibovitz of Queen Letizia
While Felipe VI wears all his decorations, his absence in the portrait of Queen Letizia is striking. As explained by Yolanda Romero Gómez, head of conservatorship and assets at the Bank of Spain, in statements collected by The Countrythe consort did try out the Fleur de Lis diadem and the San Carlos band, but Leibovitz decided not to let her wear them in the photograph.
Letizia, without tiara but with two pieces from the passing jewelry box
Until they take their final place in the Bank’s Governing Council Room, the portraits of Felipe and Letizia can be seen in the frame of the exhibition The tyranny of Cronuswhich will open to the public this Wednesday until next March.
The photographs have cost the Bank of Spain 137,000 euros and the rights will be shared between the institution and Leibovitz herself. The portraits may not be used in official events and copies may not be made.
Those of Felipe and Letizia are the first portraits in which photography is used within the collection of effigies of the Bank of Spain and, in addition, they serve to commemorate the ten years of reign of Felipe VI and the two decades of marriage of the kings .
Leibovitz, who when he received the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities in 2013 said that he would “love” to portray the then princes, has experience in portraying the monarchy. The American photographer took a series of portraits of Elizabeth II, one of them in Buckingham and others in the Windsor gardens with her dogs, as well as photographs with her grandchildren.
In the first meeting between Elizabeth II and Leibovitz, in 2007, the photographer suggested to the monarch that The portrait might look better without the tiara.. “Could we try it without the crown? It will look better… less elegant,” the photographer dropped to the astonishment of Elizabeth II. “Less elegant? “What do you think this is?” the queen responded, pointing to her robe.
Source: www.huffingtonpost.es
