Fernando Botero

Colombian figurative artist, and sculptor. Born April 19, 1932 in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. Died September 15, 2023 in Monaco, Principality of Monaco. Fernando Botero became famous for his paintings and sculptures of exaggerated and rounded figures. He studied art in Bogotá, Paris and Florence. He had his first solo exhibition in 1951 and his first international success in 1961, when the Museum of Modern Art in New York acquired his painting "Mona Lisa, Age Twelve". He developed a distinctive style that combined elements of Cubism, Mexican muralism and Renaissance art. He portrayed various aspects of Colombian and Latin American culture, politics and history, as well as universal themes such as religion, violence and beauty. He also created reinterpretations of masterpieces by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Velázquez. He donated many of his works to museums in Colombia and abroad. He also collected art and founded the Botero Museum in Bogotá. He lived and worked in Paris, New York and Monaco. He was considered one of the most popular and influential artists of his time.