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Fernando Botero (Colombian, b. 1932)

Fernando Botero is a Colombian painter and sculptor noted for the rotund figures that began to appear in his works during the 1960s. His style was developed over a long period of time. When asked why he paints fat people he explains that artists are attracted to certain forms, many times not knowing the reason for the attraction and that is just they way he chooses to paint. Boteros work from this period show the influences of French painter Paul Gauguin and of the early work by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.

In 1948, Botero started work as an illustrator. In 1950, he went to Europe, where he attended the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, copied Velazquez and Goya in the Prado and admired the frescoes in Florence He went to Paris in 1953, studying the old masters in the Louvre Museum.

He went on a long visit to Mexico in 1956-57 and the experience of Muralism significantly influenced his future direction Botero first visited the United States in 1957, buying a studio in New York City in 1960. A number of the works he executed from 1959 to 1961 show the influence of the New York abstract expressionism movement in their visible brushwork.

After this long period of development, the painting style he is best known for emerged around 1964. It is characterized by inflated, rounded forms, painted with smooth, almost invisible brushstrokes, puffing up to an exaggerated size human figures, natural features, and objects of all kinds, celebrating the life within them while mocking their role in the world. He combined the regional with the universal, constantly referring to his native Colombia and also creating elaborate parodies of works of art from the past.

American Fine Art Editions, Inc. represents this famed Colombian artist featuring his tabletop sculptures and prints. In addition to Botero, American Fine gallery represents a variety of other world renowned artists including: Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, Andrew Wyeth, LeRoy Neiman, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Marcel Mouly, Thomas Pradzynski, and more. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Old Town Scottsdale, AZ or call one of our International Art Consultants today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. If you need to learn more about collecting, pricing, value or any other art information your International Art Consultant will assist you and give you the one on one attention you deserve. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.