'Picasso of South America' Fernando Botero Passes Away

Passed away at age 91... Died from pneumonia and other chronic illnesses
Famous for a unique painting style with richly inflated subjects

Fernando Botero, a world-renowned painter and sculptor from Colombia, passed away on the 15th (local time) at the age of 91.

Local daily El Tiempo and W Radio reported that Botero died at his home in Monaco due to pneumonia and other chronic illnesses. According to the media, Botero's daughter personally announced her father's passing.

Fernando Botero standing in front of his work in 2017
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

Born in 1932 in Medellin, Colombia, Botero attended a bullfighting school at his uncle's suggestion before holding his first exhibition in 1948. He once made a living drawing illustrations for local newspapers and began gaining fame for his unique style at exhibitions held in the United States and Europe.

Botero is the founder of a distinctive style called "Boterismo," named after him. The figures and objects in Botero's works are inflated as if air were blown into balloons, emphasizing volume. Because of this, Botero was sometimes misunderstood as painting "fat people," but he clarified, "I do not paint fat people." He explained his artistic world by saying, "Since the 13th century in Italy, volume has been emphasized. I was greatly influenced by works showing volume when I visited Italy," adding, "I am not simply painting fatness."

Botero is also famous for parodying masterpieces from the Renaissance to modern times in his own style. His representative work, "Mona Lisa, Age Twelve," is a reinterpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," and "Following Vel?zquez" is a new rendition of Vel?zquez's "Infanta Margarita." There is also "Following Van Eyck's Arnolfini," which depicts the figures from Jan van Eyck's "The Arnolfini Portrait" in his unique style.

Movie Poster for 'Botero'

His works have been greatly loved worldwide, including in his homeland Colombia, the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Botero's works are exhibited in major city museums and public spaces such as Bogot? in Colombia, Madrid in Spain, Paris in France, and Mexico City in Mexico. Several exhibitions were held in Korea in 2009 and 2015. Additionally, in 2020, a documentary film titled "Botero," capturing his life and art, was produced.

Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, mourned the loss on his social media, saying, "Botero, the painter of virtues who embraced our traditions and flaws, has passed away." Medellin, Botero's hometown, which had designated the year before his 90th birthday as "The Year of Botero," declared a seven-day mourning period.

Daniel Quintero, Mayor of Medellin, said, "Botero's masterpieces will continue to be exhibited in the city," adding, "He will live forever here."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.