Fernando Botero

While in July 20th shapes are definite and sharp…

… 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.

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.

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

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

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.

(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.