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The spanish painter Antonio López and the portrait of the Spanish Royal Family. Few paintings have generated so much excitement as The Royal Family of Juan Carlos I, the canvas of a Spanish artist ...

Few paintings have generated so much excitement as The Royal Family of Juan Carlos I, the canvas of a Spanish artist Antonio López, one the most expected and biggest artworks of a contemporary Spanish painter. Over these two decades of preparation, the circumstances surrounding the family have changed so much that not even the King is the same. Therefore, the Spanish newspaper of LOC (El mundo) has proposed to the prestigious artist Antonio de Felipe to imagine the current family portrait of Philip VI.
So let’s have a look at 15 points that you have not probably known until today:
1. To begin with, who was the first visitor to see the famous artwork after being finished? His name is Juan and he was passing through Madrid when he decided to visit The Royal Palace on Thursday at nine o'clock to be the first citizen to see in person the famous painting by Antonio López (the exhibition opens at ten). "The whole exhibition well worth it and this is a great climax," he explained the last Thursday.
2. The first photo shoot took place on Christmas Eve. The December 24, 1993 Antonio López visited Zarzuela Palace, the Royal residence at the time, for a photo session of the Kings and their children that lasted more than two hours. The images were taken in one of the rooms of the residence. The results did not satisfy the painter and he asked for a second session.
3. The second photo shoot was in summer 1994. July 9, 1994 a new photo session was conducted for the Royal Family moved this time to the study of the painter. López made the Kings and their children to pose in two different poses: in the first place with the Kings and their children sitting, and then all standing.
4. The change of costume Reina Sofía. Antonio López considered it was not working properly with the first costume Reina Sofía was wearing and made her come back to the studio another day with three more dresses. Despite this effort, the Queen is portrayed with the first dress, designed by Margarita Nuez, a Spanish designer.
5. The Princess Cristina was always absent. The Infanta Cristina was not present at any of the mentioned sessions, therefore she posed later. The day the Royal Family were cited at Antonio Lopez, Cristina was in Boston watching Spain to be eliminated by Italy in the World Cup held in USA.
6. It was moved three times. Over these two decades, the painting has been moved several times from the studio of the painter to the Royal Palace. While preparing the canvas, it was in the studio of the painter. In March 2001, the painting was moved to the Royal Palace. The workshop was installed in the so called Large Stove or Camellia’s, with wide open windows to the Campo del Moro. On 28 July, 2010 it returned back to the studio of the painter, to be moved again to the Royal Palace on April 26, 2013. There was installed a new workshop, this time in a room facing north and overlooking the Sabatini Gardens.
7. Always with Velázquez by the hand. It is widely known the devotion of Antonio López to the work Diego Velázquez. Over last months of work, he was always accompanied by a monograph of Seville genius, always placed on a chair as a lectern. In addition to it he also ordered a mirror to face the portrait, hung in an undeniable visual game reminiscent of Las Meninas.
8. His greatest work (by size). The painting measures three meters long by 3.39 wide. It is the greatest work of Antonio López and figures are painted life-size.
9. The contract was not signed until 1997. The contract with National Heritage was not formalized until 30 July 1997. In the second clause of the document the price was specified: 50 million pesetas.
10. Two Kings and four Heads of House. "The portrait is a bit ... out-of-time". During the first day of visits to the exhibition, the public commented again and again that the portrayed Royal Family had no longer anything to do with the present. Since the commission in 1993 to its completion in 2014, there have been two Kings, four heads of the Royal House and five presidents of National Heritage.
11. The devices he used to work. Whereas it is a canvas of almost 10 m2, the artist constructed large individual hardboard templates with legs and stick on them color photocopies of real size of each character with the exact proportion they were to have in the picture. To set the perspective, he used ... a twine.
12. Why there are no in-laws. "I considered the idea of including them around and asked about it, when they answered with a convincing no," said the artist. History has proven it was right who gave such an order.
13. Slippers, prints ... the 'mischief'. Antonio López has tried with several elements in the painting. As for the princess Cristina changed her rope sole sandals for high heeled shoes, then by low shoes. The Princess Elena’s patterned the dress has been changed into less flowery. Regarding the Queen he has changed not only her costume, but the position of her hands. Even on the walls until recently there were tiles with blue birds, which have 'disappeared.
14. It was seen before. Throughout these years, the press has published photos of the progress of the painting. Also some books about the artist revealed some sketches.
15. In October, the last stroke. Although he did not sign until November 5, was the October 9 when the painter made the last stroke. It was in the shadows created on the shoulder and trousers of Don Juan Carlos, after adding a few weeks before a reflection of the sun in the upper left corner.

The spanish painter Antonio López and the portrait of the Spanish Royal Family.