15/09/2023
Today we are incredibly saddened to learn about the death of the master artist, “el maestro Fernando Botero.” Born in 1932 in Medellín, Botero’s life took him on a self-led journey through art history from Mexico, to Europe, to New York. After giving up his first trade, bull fighting, Botero studied the giants of art from the past, inspiring himself through groundbreaking artists like Cézanne. Botero began to find his creative “voice” after being discovered near the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where he eventually had his breakthrough with a series of paintings of the Mona Lisa at different ages of her life. His use of size is not born out of a love of “fat,” but is actually a way to accentuate hidden messages in his paintings, many of which are reinterpretations of stories and paintings from the past, with a critique of modern culture and often Colombian culture. You can visit the Antioquia Museum in Medellín, where the permanent exhibit was personally donated and curated by el Maestro Botero himself. Rest In Peace, Maestro, thank you for your genius and legacy.