Biography of Fernando Botero
By combining Renaissance and Baroque painting techniques
with the colonial tradition of Latin America, Botero creates a figurative
painting style that is universal in its appeal. He captures intimate
moments in life - a woman bathing, a men's card game or a family
posing for a photograph - depicting plump, nonchalant figures in
everyday scenes. In group scenes, the artist frequently teases the
viewer by showing one nude female figure, which is reminiscent of
the famous Manet painting, Luncheon on the Grass.
Born in Medellin, Colombia in 1932, Botero moved
to Bogota in 1951 where he had his first solo exhibition at the
Leo Matiz Gallery. He studied in Madrid at the San Fernando Academy,
and in Florence where he learned the fresco techniques of the Italian
masters. In 1956 he taught at the School of Fine Arts at the University
of Bogota and traveled to Mexico City to study the work of Rivera
and Orozco. In 1969, his work was shown in the 'Inflated Images'
exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which established
his reputation as a major painter.
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