How Fernando Botero, artist of “oversized” works, died

Fernando Botero leaves the world of art today, aged 91 years. The famous sculptor, artist and designer became famous for depicting three-dimensional human figures. The artist recently lost his wife and continued to draw until last week, would be amazed pneumonia. The death occurred in the Principality of Monaco.

Born in Medellin in 1932 in Colombia, in a wealthy Catholic family. 12 years he started attending bullfighter school: His first known work is a watercolor of a bullfighter. At the age of 16, he began working as an illustrator for the newspaper El Colombiano, publishing his first book at the same age.

In 52, he won a prize of 7,000 pesos for the painting “On the Shore”: the money allowed him to move to Europe. Between France

(Paris), Spain (Madrid) studies the works of the greatest artists in the Louvre and the Prado Museum. In Italy he entered the Academy of San Marco. Florence. Hit Giottofrom which he reinterprets some of the characters, is also fascinated by the Italian Renaissance, which would inspire his career.

Returning to his Village origin in 55, exhibits works from his Italian sojourn. He rejected the French avant-garde, for which he was criticized by his compatriots. He moved to Mexico, where he began working on “super-large” forms.. He moves to New York, where he discovered abstract expressionism. He achieved maximum fame in a short period of time. He exhibits in Washington at the Gres Gallery: his works are all sold on the same inauguration day.

In the 80s he visits Paris AND Pietrasanta. In an Italian town, he began to study sculpture and lived with his family for many years. Some of his paintings are marked by tragedy: son’s death in a car accident Pedro, to whom he dedicated many of his works. In the same accident, Fernando Botero loses the last phalanx of the little finger of his left hand; It is for this reason that many of his creations depict huge hands. He donated more than 300 works.

Explaining his style: “I really believe in volume, this sensuality that evokes pleasure to the eye.” There are few shadows in his paintings because they would “contaminate the idea of ​​color.” In this way he depicted the triumph of life.

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Luca Frasacco