The creation of Eduard Alcoy: Diabolus Tecum
Created in 1976 by Eduard Alcoy, the "Portrait of the Demons" series comprises six monumental works dedicated to six high-ranking officers of the infernal hierarchy. These creations culminate many other attempts by the prolific Barcelona artist to capture the image of the evil one, less as a terrifying being than as a playful and astral spirit who governs his own universe on different scales.
Founder, in 1957, of Grupo Sílex with Hernández Pijuán, Planell and Rovira-Brull, and in 1959 of the Barcelona School with Subirachs, Eduard Alcoy was a publicist and graphic designer until he was able to dedicate himself fully to painting. In the mid-seventies, he already had a solid artistic and cultural career in which he demonstrated his familiarity with demonic history disseminated through some texts that came into his hands in Italy, a country where he established himself as a renowned artist. Alcoy's interest in demons already extended to several previous works that prefigured this series and also infiltrated his jewelry, drawings, and graphic work, shaping his dark, delirious universe, full of details and as humorous as it was mysterious, which became his personal trademark.
This series represents the height of demonic art and materializes in the six visible heads that make up 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 16th-century Dutch doctor, occultist, and writer - established that, subordinated to the three Superior Spirits who are Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Astaroth, there are six high-ranking officers who form the military command. These are, in order of importance, Lucifuge Rofocale, Satanachia, Agaliarept, Fleuretty, Sargatanas, and Nebiros.
LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE. Count and Prime Minister of Hell, he holds all the power that Lucifer has given him - and whom he serves devoutly - over all the riches and treasures of the world. He is patient, polite, and soft-spoken. He appears cold and severe, with an aura of calm and melancholy. He only materializes at night and hates light (his name, in Latin, means "one who shuns 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. Grand General of the Armies. Satanachia possesses great and perfect beauty. There is no other like him in all of hell 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. Related to astronomy, he has a deep knowledge of all planets and stars.
Eduardo Alcoy - Agaliarept
AGALIAREPT. Captain General. Calm, very tall, robust, and similar to a large greenish caterpillar, he thirsts for wisdom. He uncovers the great mysteries and enigmas of the world, as well as the most hidden secrets in all courts, all cabinets, and all people in general. 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, he is known for his deadly experiments that include changing bodies and minds. He is an expert in poisonous and psychotropic plants. He promotes sexual desire and causes wars among men. He has the power to perform the work his summoner desires during the night and to cause hail to fall. He can also absorb the powers of others. He commands a considerable body of spirits.
Eduard Alcoy - Sargatanás
(Work not belonging to the Gaudifond collection)
(Work not belonging to the Gaudifond collection)
SARGATANAS. Superior chief under the command of Fleuretty. With fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes, he wears an elegant robe sprinkled with gold. Very quiet and astute, he has the power to make invisible anyone who worships him, to transport anyone to any place through astral projection, to open all locks, and to see everything that happens inside homes. He specializes in brainwashing, mind-reading, and in erasing and stealing memory. He teaches all the cunning of shepherds.
Eduard Alcoy - Nebiros
NEBIROS. Field marshal and inspector general of the armies of Hell. He makes men cunning 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, vegetables, and animals. He possesses the art of prediction and is an expert in interacting with the dead. He also has the power to make anyone he wishes ill.
Recalling in some aspects Byzantine or Gothic icons, as well as Mannerist or Baroque portraits in others, Eduard Alcoy joined the historical horizons of fantastic art, but dispensing with both abstract formalisms and their spiritual confidences. With undeniable execution and technique, framed in a personal and unique language, Alcoy created unique, brilliant, irreverent, and timeless icons in these works that demonstrate a deep knowledge of medieval representations of the diabolical, of the challenging confidences of some surrealists, without forgetting the superstitious levels of certain popular expressions along with a generous dose of sharp humor and intelligence. For all these reasons, we believe that these works should endure in art history and be a source of inspiration for new talents.
