2023-09-15 15:25:28
Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, famous for his voluptuous figures and considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, died Friday at the age of 91.
“Fernando Botero, the painter of our traditions and our faults, the painter of our virtues, is dead,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Friday on the X network (formerly Twitter).
“The painter of our violence and our peace. Of the dove rejected a thousand times and placed a thousand times on its throne,” added the Head of State, in reference to one of the artist’s emblematic animals.
According to his daughter Lina, Fernando Botero, born in 1932 in Medellin, in central Colombia, died in Monaco, where he lived, at 9:00 a.m. local (07:00 GMT).
“He is the most Colombian of Colombians because he always carried Colombia in his heart. Not only because he kept up to date with Colombian news, sensitive to the needs and areas in which he could help, but also because Colombia and its memories nourished his artistic work,” he said. she declared.
“He continued to paint until the end and again on Saturday,” she added, specifying that her father “suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years”, which did not give him “tremors” but “ it was difficult for him to walk, communicate and swallow.”
“Over the last five days, he had developed pneumonia,” she said.
Medellin in mourning
The Colombian press hailed Friday morning in unison “the greatest Colombian artist of all time”, and his hometown of Medellin decreed seven days of mourning to “pay homage to the master (…) after a life full of “works and a legacy that will remain forever in the hearts of all the inhabitants” of the city, said its mayor Daniel Quintero.
“We deeply regret the death of Maestro Botero, a great man of art, of culture, but also a great man because of his love for Medellin, his love for Colombia, his love for Latin America. His work, his life, his legacy will remain in this city that he loved so much and in which he left so many works,” added the city councilor, adding that tributes would be paid to him “in Botero Square and in the different places in the city where his work is today and where it will live forever.
Still according to the municipality, the remains “of the Maestro will be buried in Pietrasanta, Italy, next to those of his wife Sophia Vari, a Greek sculptor who died on May 5” after 48 years of living together. A departure which caused him “infinite sadness” according to his daughter.
Politicians, cultural figures, media… Everywhere in Colombia, there was a shower of tributes for the artist, author of more than 3,000 paintings and 300 sculptures.
“We deeply regret the departure of Fernando Botero, one of the greatest artists in Colombia and the world. He was always generous to his country, a great friend and a passionate peace builder,” former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018) declared on the X network.
“A great man has left us, he gave a great name to the country, he exalted culture. Thank you Maestro Botero,” commented another former Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010).
“The Bird of Peace”
Coming from a modest background, he was introduced to art very early and after a first individual exhibition in Bogota in the 1950s, he left for Europe, staying in Spain, France and Italy where he discovered art classic.
His career took off in the 1970s in New York, where he began to be contacted by the biggest art dealers.
The extraordinary dimensions will become its trademark.
For the artist, the term “fat” did not suit his characters. A lover of the Italian Renaissance, he called himself a “defender of volume” in modern art. His sculpture, also marked by gigantism, occupied a very important place in his career.
Fernando Botero was also a major patron, with donations estimated at more than $200 million. He donated many of his works to the museums of Medellin and Bogota, and dozens of paintings from his private collection, including Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Miro…
His works are also visible outdoors in many cities around the world, the artist believing that exhibitions in public spaces are a “revolutionary rapprochement” of art with the public.
1694799731
#Death #Colombian #painter #sculptor #Fernando #Botero