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Fernando Botero
Text: English (translation)
220 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1978
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November 16, 2024
I knew very little about South American artists but once this selection of the works of Medellin-born , Colombia's second largest city, Fernando Botero's work has been viewed there is no doubt he must be one of the top artists of that country; his work has certainly acquired much critical acclaim and he now has almost 3,000 paintings to his name plus a variety of other artistic productions such as 200 sculptures and a large number of drawings and watercolours. He has held over 50 solo exhibitions throughout the world and it has been suggested 'No painter in recent decades has exerted such a wide influence on the art world.' He might not be to everybody's taste but he is certainly different and very colourful.
Born on 19 April 1932, he had a variety of schools before moving to Bogota in 1951 and it was there that he held his first exhibition at the Leo Matiz Gallery. After marrying, he and his wife moved in 1956 to Mexico City from where he participated in a group exhibition at The Museum of Fine Art in Houston. Other exhibitions followed in Washington DC.
In 1958 he was appointed professor of painting at the Bogota Academy of Art and he exhibited at the New York Guggenheim Museum Museum and after representing Colombia at the Fifth Sap Paulo Biennale in 1959 he moved to New York in 1960. And in 1950 The Museum of Modern Art acquired his first version of 'Mona Lisa at the age of 12'.
Getting known around the world he exhibits at a variety of places before, in 1973, he moved to Paris where he began creating sculptures. and in 1974 his first retrospective opened in Bogota. And after another retrospective in Caracas, he was awarded the Venezuelan Order of Andres Bello.
More exhibitions followed and as his sometimes monumental sculptures attracted more attention, they were shown in such places as the Castello Belvedere in Florence, the Casino in Monte Carlo, along the Champs-Elysee in Paris, along Park Avenue in New York and in Madrid's prestigious boulevard, the Castellana.
By this time he was so well known that his style was known as 'Boterismo', as , rather in the style of our own Beryl Cook (whose work I adore), his work depicted people and figures in large, exaggerated size. And once seen it would be difficult not to recognise his work.
Subsequently, Botero died in Monaco from complications of pneumonia on 15 September 2023, at the age of 91, .
Born on 19 April 1932, he had a variety of schools before moving to Bogota in 1951 and it was there that he held his first exhibition at the Leo Matiz Gallery. After marrying, he and his wife moved in 1956 to Mexico City from where he participated in a group exhibition at The Museum of Fine Art in Houston. Other exhibitions followed in Washington DC.
In 1958 he was appointed professor of painting at the Bogota Academy of Art and he exhibited at the New York Guggenheim Museum Museum and after representing Colombia at the Fifth Sap Paulo Biennale in 1959 he moved to New York in 1960. And in 1950 The Museum of Modern Art acquired his first version of 'Mona Lisa at the age of 12'.
Getting known around the world he exhibits at a variety of places before, in 1973, he moved to Paris where he began creating sculptures. and in 1974 his first retrospective opened in Bogota. And after another retrospective in Caracas, he was awarded the Venezuelan Order of Andres Bello.
More exhibitions followed and as his sometimes monumental sculptures attracted more attention, they were shown in such places as the Castello Belvedere in Florence, the Casino in Monte Carlo, along the Champs-Elysee in Paris, along Park Avenue in New York and in Madrid's prestigious boulevard, the Castellana.
By this time he was so well known that his style was known as 'Boterismo', as , rather in the style of our own Beryl Cook (whose work I adore), his work depicted people and figures in large, exaggerated size. And once seen it would be difficult not to recognise his work.
Subsequently, Botero died in Monaco from complications of pneumonia on 15 September 2023, at the age of 91, .
Displaying 1 of 1 review