One of the most significant sections of the Colección Banco de España is undoubtedly its gallery of official portraits. Nearly without interruption, this gallery reflects the institution’s history from the founding of the Banco de San Carlos in 1782 to the present day. It is not limited to portraits of figures involved in the bank’s management, such as directors, governors, and finance ministers, but also includes the monarchs who have reigned during the institution’s lifetime. As such, it stands as one of the finest collections extant for studying the evolution of official portraiture in Spain, from the Enlightenment onward. Additionally, it should be noted that many of the great portraitists who have worked in Spain, beginning with Francisco de Goya – who was responsible for the first six portraits commissioned by the Banco de San Carlos – continuing through Vicente López, and more recently artists such as Isabel Quintanilla and Carmen Laffón, are featured. It is within this tradition that these portraits of the current monarchs, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, should take their rightful place.

In October 2022, the Banco de España began the process of commissioning¹ the portraits of their royal majesties, which culminated almost a year later with the selection of Annie Leibovitz to undertake the project. The inclusion of the American photographer in the roll of artists who have shaped this heritage collection undoubtedly reflects a desire for revitalization through this commission. One of the most innovative aspects of this project is the replacement of painted portraits – which had predominated in the gallery since its inception – with photography. It is also the first time that the commission was awarded to an artist from outside Spain, opening the way for greater internationalization of the collection in the future. Moreover, selecting Leibovitz meant promoting and increasing the number of female creators in this section of the collection. While the use of photography represents a change, Leibovitz has skillfully honored the tradition of Spanish institutional portraiture while regenerating it. Her composition alludes to the court portraits by Velázquez, who, as noted by John Berger, was able to capture both the visible and the serendipitous from a singular perspective, managing to make the viewer feel part of the scene – thus anticipating photography. For Berger, this explains why, when viewing a portrait like Las meninas, we have the sensation that we could step into the painting. This sense of involvement is doubtless what first strikes us in Leibovitz’s royal portraits, as she has set a scene where the viewer also feels present at the event: the queen’s arrival in the royal quarters. This sensation is heightened by the large scale of the images and the immersive staging of the setting chosen: the Salón de Gasparini of the Palacio Real de Madrid.

The diptych composition of this royal portrait allows us to survey the sequence in two parts: in the first, King Felipe VI is dressed in full ceremonial uniform, surrounded by all the elements of a classic portrait – a mirror, a table, a grand chandelier, a clock, and an open door with draperies (though not the richly embroidered originals). In the second, Queen Letizia enters the room, bathed in natural light, free of the accoutrements traditionally denoting nobility (the royal tiara and sash of the Order of Carlos III);² with no need to rely on any of the customary elements of formal portraits, in which the royal poses with complete ease. It appears none of these elements are necessary and would in fact be superfluous and redundant in this “photographic enthronement” orchestrated by Leibovitz to proclaim their majesty. The artist’s eye and camera strike an exceptionally delicate balance: adhering to protocol while minimizing ostentation, drawing inspiration from the tradition of Spanish portraiture during its golden age, from Velázquez to Goya. Leibovitz is clearly aware of whom she is portraying and during which moment in history, but she also seeks to ensure that, in a single glance, so does the viewer. The result is a complementary pair of images that are both imposing and intimate, regal yet human, and above all, artistically compelling and historically significant.

1. For this purpose, the bank’s Comisión Asesora (Advisory Committee) – including José Manuel Matilla, Senior Curator of Drawings, Prints, and Photographs at the Museo Nacional del Prado; Teresa Velázquez, Head of Exhibitions at the Museo Reina Sofía; and Yolanda Romero, Curator of the Colección Banco de España – was convened on several occasions to define the parameters for this new commission. After considering various alternatives, Annie Leibovitz was proposed for the project. The proposal was submitted by Alejandro Álvarez, Director General of Services, to the Comisión Ejecutiva of the Banco de España, which approved it.

2. She is wearing a pleated silk tulle dress and a ceremonial pink silk cape, both by designer Cristóbal Balenciaga (from the 1940s and 1960s, respectively), on loan from the Fundación Antoni de Montpalau

Yolanda Romero Gómez