Fernando BOTERO 1932-2023

Fernando Botero (1932–2023) was one of the most singular and recognizable artists of the 20th century, a Colombian painter and sculptor with an instantly identifiable style.

Born in Medellín on April 19, 1932, he discovered drawing very early and published his first sketches in the local press. After a brief stint at a bullfighting school, he definitively chose art and began exhibiting in 1948.

In the 1950s, he traveled to Europe (Madrid, Florence, Paris), studied the Spanish masters at the Prado Museum, and then absorbed the influence of the Italian Renaissance and the Parisian avant-garde.

His career took a decisive turn in 1957 with his "Still Life with Mandolin', which introduced his characteristic style for the first time: rounded, full, and monumental forms.

 Over the next decade he exhibited in prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, etc.

Botero developed a unique universe, populated by figures, animals, and objects of exaggerated proportions, which he himself called "volumetry".

Behind this apparent gentleness often lies a social or political critique, notably in his series on violence in Colombia or on the Abu Ghraib prisons. His monumental sculptures, installed in numerous cities around the world, have earned him international renown.

Dividing his time between Paris, Pietrasanta (Italy), and Monaco, Botero remained a prolific creator until the end of his life. He passed away on September 15, 2023, in Monaco, leaving behind a rich and varied body of work that is at once ironic, sensual, and deeply humanist.