The Family of Juan Carlos I Portrait Unveiled by Antonio Lopez After 20 Years


The Family of Juan Carlos I Portrait
Spanish artist Antonio Lopez unveils The Family of Juan Carlos I portrait.

Spanish artist Antonio Lopez officially unveiled The Royal Portrait after 20 years. The portrait of the Spanish royal family with former Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia was publicly displayed at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain according to Spanish Daily El Pais.

Based on reports, it took 20 years for painter Antonio López to complete the portrait. López, noted for his unhurried approach to his work, was putting the finishing touches to the life-size canvas in the Royal Palace in June when the then king, Juan Carlos, announced his abdication in favor of his son Felipe, requiring a name change to the work. Originally to be called simply The Royal Family, the painting is now entitled The Family of Juan Carlos I.

Reports also mentioned that the painting portrays the royal family at the height of their popularity, a symbol of Spain’s new democratic age, a time when both the country and the monarchy had much to look forward to. It will go on display in a room alongside the portrait of Juan Carlos I by Salvador Dalí, which was delivered on time in 1979.

Jose Rodriguez-Spiteri, the president of Spain’s National Heritage, which commissioned the portrait, says when King Felipe finally got to see the finished product, he declared: “We are all how we were 20 years ago!”

After the exhibition closes in April 2015, the canvas will join the Museum of the Royal Collections, due to open in 2016, reports added.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.