In Memoriam: Fernando Botero

I just learned that one of my absolute favorite artists just died: Colombian artist Fernando Botero. He is best known for his sculptures, but he also was a prolific at producing paintings and drawings. His signature was that the subjects of his art were depicted as fat. Very fat. Corpulent. Obese. You have heard of Flemish painter Rubens and his "Rubenesque" models. They are almost anorexic compared to Botero's. He died this morning at the age of 91.

Right before he died, would have been my favorite living artist. He's now ineligible for the status of my "favorite living artist" due to recent circumstances beyond both of ours control. In his honor, here is a tour of just a few of the works of Sr. Botero I have seen during my travels.

Plaza Botero. Medellin, Colombia. September 16, 2012. The best place on earth to see the work of Botero.

Plaza Botero. Medellin, Colombia. September 16, 2012. A horse is a horse of course unless of course the horse is as fat as a Botero horse.

Plaza Botero. Medellin, Colombia. September 16, 2012. Pity the pony that has to support that weight.

Plaza Botero. Medellin, Colombia. September 16, 2012. It's a nude fatty faceoff. A perfect place for a family-friendly photo session.

Plaza Botero. Medellin, Colombia. September 16, 2012. This is, truly, a fat cat. Except it's a dog. "Perro," not "Gato." Should have been my clue.

Plaza Botero. Medellin, Colombia. September 16, 2012. Seductive. Perhaps inspired by Lady Godiva?

Museo Botero. Bogotá, Colombia. September 7, 2012. A Botero still life. Even his fruits and vegetables are fat. Even his cutlery is fat!

Museo Botero. Bogotá, Colombia. September 7, 2012. Perhaps my favorite of all of Botero's two dimensional works: the fattest crucifixion scene you will ever see.

Museo Botero. Bogotá, Colombia. September 7, 2012. Even his nuns!

Somewhere in Ljubljana, Slovenia. September 15, 2014. I was walking in Ljubljana -- something I very highly recommend as it is a great city -- and I saw this fountain with its fat figures and I thought: "Those have to be Boteros." When I got back to the hotel, I looked it up. Of course they were.

What else could they be?

Museo Soumaya. Mexico City. December 12, 2021. Again, I see a fat sculpture. I think: "Must be a Botero." Check the tag. Sure 'nuff.

And I will leave you with a picture of a much younger me, from 2012, at the entrance to the Museo Botero in Bogotá, Colombia.

I was in good hands with Botero.