Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero has died at the age of 91.

The artist developed his own style early on. As he said himself, he focused on conveying forms in space. Hence the characteristic, round figures and representations of animals, plump and round, as if their physicality did not fit into the given form. Fernando Botero was born in Medellin, Colombia, but spent his adult years between a Parisian apartment and studio, a house in Pietrasanta, Italy, and a residence in Mexico. In his work, he often referred to painting traditions, somehow quoting the masters or adapting their works in his own characteristic way.

He made his debut as a teenager, creating illustrations. The creative scholarship allowed him to travel to Europe and study at the Royal Academy of Arts in Madrid. As he told me, the discovery of European art was a foundational experience for him, and the Prado in Madrid with its masterpieces of art was a real academy. Then he probably understood how important consistent work is, but also his own independence. He nurtured it both when it was admired (I remember the paeans during the exhibition at the Maillol Museum in Paris) and when he had to face criticism. For some time, she was considered the most expensive artist in the world.

Over the course of his long, seventy-year career, Botero has developed a very unique style. As he told me, he was asked whether the surname full of round letters was also his invention. His painting and sculptural “language” was called Boterism. Behind the humorous façade of obese characters placed in grotesque situations, there was also room for discreet social commentary.

Fernando Botero’s sculptures have become a recognizable element in many cities. I recently saw one of them in Barcelona. The powerful figures of horses, presented in a play with form, round like inflated balloons – aroused admiration among some, while others accused them of being too illustrative and literal. He was undoubtedly guided by his creative energy and sympathy for the people he portrayed with a pinch of salt.

Imperfection presented in a slightly grotesque way has become his trademark. He also touched upon topics in which he ‘described’ the evil existing in the world: inequality, violence, and injustice. I remember conversations about the Persian Gulf War. In 2005, a series was created relating to the fate of prisoners in Abu Ghurayb, Iraq, where there were cases of prisoners being tortured by American soldiers. According to the commentary of art critic Roberta Smith from New York Times, paintings had an even stronger impact than photographs.

I met Fernando Botero several times.

For the first time – in Pietrasanta, Tuscany. I was a student at the University of Florence at the time; I  asked the author for an interview. On a beautiful sunny day, we met at a cafe in the main square of the city. Botero came on a motorino. He was very friendly and open – the conversation went fantastically, and then the artist took me around the city on his motorino to show me the works in various places. After this meeting, I published two interviews. Then there were meetings in Paris. They had a more serious tone – we talked about conflicts that were taking place in the world. Botero talked about his native Colombia, to which it was difficult for him to return.

He really wanted to exhibit his works in Poland. Unfortunately, this plan failed to be implemented.

The artist also made a major gift to Bogotá, donating an impressive collection of over 200 works of art to its collection. They included works by Picasso, Leger, Renoir, Monet, Dali, Giacometti, Beckmann, Freud, Calder and Bacon. This is his contribution to the cultural heritage of his homeland. In addition, the Botero Museum exhibits the works of the artist himself.

Fernando Botero died on September 15 in Monaco, as a result of complications from pneumonia.

Justyna Napiórkowska, PhD
16.09.2023