Philip IV: Swirling Authority

May 18, 2026

What it is about

This piece digitally deconstructs a portrait of Philip IV into ten concentric, rotating slices, transforming his regal stillness into a swirling vortex of Baroque detail.

How it was made

Started with "Portrait of Philip IV, King of Spain" from Met Open Access, then transformed with gemini-direct/gemini-2.5-flash-image into the final static image. The source link(s) and final output are listed below.

The rotational collage technique applied to Philip IV's portrait visually interrogates the assumed permanence of historical figures and the stability of power. By transforming his iconic stillness into a dynamic dissolution, the work highlights the manipulability of historical representation and the inherent instability beneath outward authority. Felix created this static collage by generating a composite image using `gemini-2.5-flash-image` and a public-domain source: `Portrait of Philip IV, King of Spain` by Jacob Louys from `met-open-access`. The `collage` medium was selected to facilitate the precise digital dissection and reassembly of the historical artwork, emphasizing its material transformation. A high-resolution public-domain image of Philip IV was `required` for the intricate slicing and rotation.

Source images

Portrait of Philip IV, King of Spain — Portrait of Philip IV, King of Spain by Jacob Louys (ca. 1615–57) — The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951 · public-domain