Fernando Botero, a Colombian artist who was one of the most respected and popular artists in the world, died on Friday in Monaco. He was known for his magnificent depictions of bloated generals, bishops, prostitutes, housewives and other characters, which he mastered from his wild imagination to his art.
According to his daughter Lina, the 91-year-old artist, who lived in Monaco, died of pneumonia. The death was first announced on social media by Colombian President Gustavo Petro. He was described by the President as “the painter of our traditions and shortcomings, the painter of our virtues.”
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Who was Fernando Botero?
Early life of Botero
Fernando Botero Angulo was born on April 19, 1932 in the Colombian city of Medell. His father died when he was a small child, but his uncle supported him for two years in pursuing his dream of becoming a matador, enrolling him in a Jesuit high school and encouraging his creative endeavors. He was a lifelong bullfighting enthusiast and the bullfighting scenes appear in some of his earlier works. Mr. Botero was dismissed from his Jesuit school for expressing “irreligious” thoughts in an essay entitled “Pablo Picasso and Nonconformity in Art.”
Botero’s rise and Boterismo movement
The path that led Botero to international fame was neither quick nor easy. Botero first achieved widespread recognition in 1962 after his first exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Center in Wisconsin, USA. The distinctive Botero style, known as Boterismo, spread throughout the world. Contrary to a popular misconception, Botero explicitly said that his paintings were about “volumes” rather than “chubby figures.” His work was a play with proportions and a ballet of dimensions that fascinated viewers everywhere. His paintings and sculptures, each a monument to his mastery of form and color, have found homes in several countries.
Philanthropist and inspiration for many
A passionate art collector, Botero donated part of his collection to a museum in his hometown of Medellin in 2000. In some of his creations he has interpreted works of art by Caravaggio, Titian and van Gogh. In April 2022, a documentary film by Don Miller entitled “Botero, una ricerca senza finish” was released, which sheds light on the artist’s life and work.
Fernando Botero’s marriage and children
Gloria Zea was Fernando Botero’s first wife. The couple married in 1955 and had three children. Botero stayed in New York for a while after their divorce in 1960. In 1964, Fernando tied the knot with Cecilia Zambrano. But in 1974 she and Fernando gave birth to a son. Unfortunately, her son died in an accident in 1979. Fernando and Cecilia divorced in 2004, but the reason for their separation was never made public.
Later, in 1978, Fernando tied the knot with Sophia Vari and they continued to commute between Paris and Monte Carlo while living in both cities. Sophia was also an artist, but passed away in May this year after a long battle with ovarian cancer.
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