Fernando Botero

Two artworks, one artist

By National Museum of Colombia

National Museum of Colombia

July 20th (1984) by Fernando Botero Angulo (1932)National Museum of Colombia

The greatest joy in painting is the sensuality of form. That is, it is a joy for the sense of touch more than the sense of sight.
Fernando Botero

Guitar Lesson, Fernando Botero Angulo, 1960, From the collection of: National Museum of Colombia
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Guitar Lesson and July 20th are 24 years apart from each other.

In these two artworks, painted with oil on canvas, volume fills in the surface in different ways…

July 20th (1984) by Fernando Botero Angulo (1932)National Museum of Colombia

While in July 20th shapes are definite and sharp…

Guitar Lesson (1960) by Fernando Botero AnguloNational Museum of Colombia

… in Guitar Lesson the volume of objects expands over the canvas surface as if it was painted with pastels or watercolors.

This apple is contoured by a borderline and loose brushstrokes; color appears and vanishes within the object itself.

The jars are constructed by very subtle lines and strokes of color.

Paint drops drip on the canvas and display how freely it was painted.

July 20th (1984) by Fernando Botero Angulo (1932)National Museum of Colombia

En 20 de julio cada objeto está definido de forma rotunda con su color propio.

Sharp brushstrokes determine each object.

While in Guitar lesson depth is not evident, in July 20th foreground and background are clearly differentiated.

A cat hiding behind the wall might seem like an anecdotic detail; nonetheless it is used as a pictorial accent in the right spot.

This is a friendly meeting on the street, on the Columbian Independence Day.

Another woman in red heels walks out of the scene, implying that the couple is not alone.

Guitar Lesson (1960) by Fernando Botero AnguloNational Museum of Colombia

Green and purple, two bright colors, contrast against the grays and browns on the big surfaces.

July 20th (1984) by Fernando Botero Angulo (1932)National Museum of Colombia

The yellow, blue and red colors of the flag are faded along the characters in a chromatic dialogue all over the painting.

Guitar Lesson, Fernando Botero Angulo, 1960, From the collection of: National Museum of Colombia
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July 20th (1984) by Fernando Botero Angulo (1932)National Museum of Colombia

These two artworks, from two different moments in Fernando Botero’s career, reflect different ways of using artistic elements, such as color, texture and volume, to conceive monumentality.

Fernando Botero

(born in Medellín, 1932) is a Colombian painter, sculptor and draughtsman. His work is characterized by his explorations on forms and their volumes, and it develops a variety of subjects that range from western art history to Latin-American realities, such as violence, religion, politics and everyday life. The well-defined monumental style that is internationally recognized as his is nurtured by his European artistic education, when he studied Italian Renaissance masterpieces. Other influences include artists from Antioquia, Mexican muralism, abstract expressionism and pop art. His artworks are the result of years of search and reflection around painting, color and volume.

Credits: Story

Rodrigo Trujillo Rubio

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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