Diabolus Tecum: Eduard Alcoy
Created in 1976 by Eduard Alcoy, the "Portrait of Demons" series comprises six monumental works dedicated to six high-ranking officials in the hierarchy of Hell. These creations culminate many other attempts by the prolific Barcelona artist to depict the image of evil, less as a terrifying being than as a playful, astral spirit that governs its own universe on different scales.
Founder, in 1957, of the Sílex Group with Hernández Pijuán , Planell , and Rovira-Brull , and in 1959 of the Barcelona School with Subirachs , Eduard Alcoy worked as an advertising and graphic designer until he was able to dedicate himself fully to painting. By the mid-seventies, he already possessed a solid artistic and cultural career in which he made evident his familiarity with demonic history, disseminated through texts he encountered in Italy, the country where he established himself as a renowned artist. Alcoy's interest in demons was already evident in several earlier works that foreshadowed this series and also permeated his jewelry, drawings, and graphic work, shaping his dark, delirious universe, rich in detail and as humorous as it was mysterious, which ultimately became his personal trademark.
This series thus represents the pinnacle of demonic art and is embodied in the six visible heads that comprise the high hierarchy of Hell. Coinciding with the Catholic vision of Hell written by Pope Honorius III in the 11th century, Johann Weyer—a renowned Dutch doctor, occultist, and writer of the 16th century— established that, subordinate to the three Supreme Spirits of Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Astaroth, there are six high-ranking officers who form the military command. These are, in order of importance, Lucifuge Rofocal , Satanachia, Agaliarept, Fleuretty, Sargatanas, and Nebiros.
LUCIFOGO ROFOCAL. Count and Prime Minister of Hell, he wields all the power Lucifer has bestowed upon him—and which he serves devoutly—over all the riches and treasures of the world. He is patient, polite, and soft-spoken. He appears cold and stern, with an aura of calm and melancholy. He only materializes at night and hates the light ( his name, in Latin, means "he who flees the light" ). Among his many duties are the creation of disease and deformity, earthquakes, and the destruction of sacred deities . He commands:
Eduard Alcoy - Satanachia
SATANACHIA. Great general of the armies. Satanachia possesses great and perfect beauty. There is no one in all of Hell who can equal him except Lucifer. A great seducer, Satanachia is, in reality, a ruthless killer. He has the power to subdue all women and girls and do with them as he pleases. Associated with astronomy, he has a profound knowledge of all the planets and stars.
Eduardo Alcoy - Agaliarept
AGALIAREPT. Captain General. Calm, very tall, robust, and resembling a large greenish caterpillar, he is thirsty for wisdom. He uncovers the great mysteries and enigmas of the world, as well as the most hidden secrets in all courts, cabinets, and among all people. Without touching his victims, he can eliminate their souls, minds, or bodies. He also teaches the hidden qualities of metals.
Eduardo Alcoy - Fleuretty
FLEURETTY. Lieutenant General. He is the Royal Scientist of Hell, as well as a physician. Grim and sinister, he is known for his deadly experiments, including body and mind swapping. He is an expert in poisonous and psychotropic plants. He stirs up sexual desire and instigates wars among men. He has the power to perform any deed his summoner desires during the night and to make hail fall. He can also absorb the powers of others. He commands a considerable host of spirits.
Eduard Alcoy - Sargatanás
(Work not belonging to the Gaudifond collection)
(Work not belonging to the Gaudifond collection)
SARGATANÁS. High-ranking chief under Fleuretty. Fair-skinned, with blond hair and blue eyes, he wears an elegant robe sprinkled with gold. Very quiet and cunning, he has the power to make anyone who worships him invisible, to transport anyone to any place through astral projection, to open any lock, and to see everything that happens inside homes. He specializes in brainwashing, mind reading, and erasing and stealing memories. He teaches all the tricks of the shepherds.
Eduard Alcoy - Nebiros
Nebiros. Field Marshal and Inspector General of the armies of Hell. He makes men astute in all arts and sciences, but especially in rhetoric . He also restores lost dignities and honors. Dressed in green, Nebiros teaches the properties and secrets of minerals, plants, and animals. He possesses the art of prophecy and is an expert in communicating with the dead. It also has the power to make anyone it wants sick.
Reminiscent in some ways of Byzantine or Gothic icons, and in others of Mannerist or Baroque portraits, Eduard Alcoy embraced the historical horizons of fantastic art, but without embracing either abstract formalism or its spiritual undertones. With undeniable skill and technique, framed within a personal and unique language, Alcoy crafted unique, brilliant, irreverent, and timeless icons in these works. They demonstrate a profound understanding of medieval representations of the diabolical, the defiant pronouncements of some Surrealists, and the superstitious undertones of certain popular expressions, all delivered with a generous dose of humor and sharp wit. For all these reasons, we believe these works should endure in the history of art and serve as a source of inspiration for new talents.
