Oil on Canvas
38,5 x 51,2 in (97,8 x 130,2 cm)

Born in Medellín, Colombia, Botero was the second of 3 sons. Botero’s father passed away of a heart attack when Botero was four years old and his uncle became a major figure in Botero’s life. Botero received his primary education in Antioquia Alentea and his secondary education at the Jesuit School of Bolivar supported by a scholarship. In 1944, as sent by his uncle, Botero went to a school for matadors for 2 years. He financed his own high school education at the Liceo de Marinilla de Antioquia with the money he earned from his published illustration works. Even at a young age, Botero’s artistic talent was evident, when he was only 16 years old, his first illustrations published in the Sunday supplement of the El Colombiano, one of the most important newspapers in Medellin. Botero’s signature style is characterized by the use of rotund figures and inflated forms also known as ‘Boteroism’ which depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political criticism or humour, depending on the piece. Botero is considered the most recognized and quoted living artist from Latin America, and one of the most important contemporary sculptors in the world. With his works collected by internationally renowned museums, corporations and by private collectors, Botero’s art can be found in highly visible places around the world, such as Park Avenue in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Revered in both his native country and internationally, Fernando Botero has been bestowed with accolades including the First Prize in Painting at the prestigious Salon Nacional de Artistas in 1958 aged just 24. More recently in 2012, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture award by the International Sculpture Center in the USA, which recognizes significant contributions to the medium.