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.

A Visit to Fat City

After the Museo Del Oro, I wandered across La Candelaria to the next most prominent museum in town, the Botero Museum.  Fernando Botero is Colombia's most prominent, most internationally renowned artist.  He is renowned for, well, let me show you one of his works:

A nun as rendered by Botero

Rubens has nothing on this guy when it comes to full-figured gals.  Botero is a painter and a sculpter:

Botero sculpture

 The people in his sculptures are fat.  Everything about the Botero Museum is fat.  His animal sculptures are fat:

This is a Fat Cat

 Birds are fat:

Delicious for Thanksgiving, no?

 Even the museum patrons are fat:

A man and his horse

(You knew that last one was coming, didn't you?)

The museum not only houses the works of Botero himself, but also about 100 works from very prominent artists from Botero's personal collection, such as Picasso and Chegall.  I knew this was a great museum when I walked in and the first artwork I saw was this:

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot

Corot!  I'm the type of person who has to maintain lists about everything, even things that I don't care all that much about.  So on my list of favorite artists is Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot.  So I was very happy when I walk into an art museum in Bogotá, Colombia, and the first painting I see is from my #1 favorite artist.  That wasn't the first artwork I saw, just the first painting.  You walk into the Botero Museum and you are greeted with this:

Entrance to the Botero Museum

 A fat hand!  Of course!  And how does one improve on a sculpture of a fat hand?

I'm in good hands

How about some me?

How committed to fat was Botero?  Even the food was fat!

No wonder the human models got so fat

I'm at a loss for words on this one

Even this!  The tubbiest crucifiction you will ever see.

Anyway, it's a great museum.  And, like a great museum ought to be, admission was free.  And from the second floor balcony, you can see this:

Monserrate as seen from the Botero Museum

Monserrate.  You can see that from almost everywhere in Bogotá.