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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