Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who gained worldwide fame with his sculptures and paintings of corpulent figures, has died on Friday, September 15, 2023 at the age of 91.
Speaking through ‘X’ forum, President Gustavo Petro described Botero as “the painter of our traditions and defects, the painter of our virtues, the painter of our violence and peace”.
Boterno, born in 1932 in Medellín, Columbia, is considered one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century.
Local media, which dubbed Botero “the greatest Columbian artist of all time”, said that his health had seriously deteriorated in his final days.
It is worth mentioning that Botero had designed the bronze horse sculpture near Burj Khalifa, which weighs 1.5 tonnes. The sculpture, which is 310 cm high,192 cm long and 615cm wide, celebrates Arab culture and civilization and the special status of horses and equestrianism and is located next to Dubai Mall and the Address hotel.
In an interview with Botero in 2012, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, he said: “I think about death a lot. I am saddened by the idea of leaving this world and my work coming to an end, because I love my work.”
Botero’s artistic career began at an early age, as he began selling his paintings of bullfighting in Bogota at the age of 15.
His first solo exhibition took place in Bogota in the 1950s. Later on, he moved to Europe, where he lived in Spain, France and Italy and was introduced to classical art.
His paintings are particularly inspired by the pre-Colombian era and the murals in Mexico, where he came to live later on in his life.
His career kicked off in the 1970s, when he met with the Director of the Deutsche Museum in New York, Deitrich Malov, with whom he collaborated in many successful exhibitions.
Renowned Colombian Artist and Sculptor Fernando Botero Dies Aged 91
