Fernando Botero - DENTROCASA Magazine

The tribute by DENTROCASA, in collaboration with the municipality of Pietrasanta, to the great Colombian artist, who passed away last September.

Fernando Botero and his art The “proverbially” voluminous shapes, the soft profiles of his figures and the poetry that they release give his features absolute recognizability. Shapes that express sensuality: the element that the Colombian artist has always pursued in his creations more than any other. Abundant shapes, which are never imposing. Forms of a magnitude that does not distort a congenital sweetness.

Fernando Botero passed away last September 15th at the age of 91, just over four months after the death of his wife, Sophia Vari. The family expressed the desire to bury him in Pietrasanta, a city with which he had established a special bond. “If Pietrasanta, today, is that cradle of art and craftsmanship that everyone in the world knows and appreciates, it is thanks to the love of great personalities like Fernando Botero”,declared Mayor Alberto Stefano Giovannetti who added:Botero had fallen in love with Pietrasanta and, thanks to this passion, our city has grown in culture and prestige; he has given so much to our land and to the artisan workshops, and I am sure that the memory and gratitude of this community will remain unchanged and imperishable in the years to come.”

Awarded honorary citizenship in 2001, Botero lived in Pietrasanta continuously since 1983: he created numerous works in the art foundries (Mariani, Versiliese, Del Chiaro, L’Arte, Da Prato, Tesconi, Navari) and in the laboratories (Cervietti, Giuseppe Giannoni, Roberta Giovannini, Scultori Associati) but he also bought a house, under Rocca di Sala.

His habits were well known in the city: going to the seaside on a red scooter, having an aperitif at the bars in Piazza Duomo, frequenting restaurants in the historic centre. Pietrasanta is dotted with his creations. The mayor added: “His Warrior, in Piazza Matteotti, was one of the first donations made by an artist to the city; in this too, Botero was a pioneer”. The two large frescoes inside the Church of Mercy (1993) and the plaster models donated to Museo dei Bozzetti (“Adam”, “Woman with an umbrella” and “Eve”) also bear his signature. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, in 2012, a large exhibition was set up in the city with over 70 works displayed between the Sant’Agostino complex and Piazza Duomo. In 2020, Botero donated a painting to the municipality for the international charity auction held with Sotheby’s in support of the Versilia hospital, during the health emergency.

Deputy Mayor Francesca Bresciani also has a vivid memory of his special bond with Pietrasanta: Francesca Bresciani“The death of Fernando Botero shocked the entire community because this great artist was truly one of us: for the citizens of Pietrasanta, it was normal to meet him, and he also initiated many young people into artistic practice. On the other hand, enjoying his greatness as an international personality has always been a great privilege for everyone. Botero’s approach to Pietrasanta was therefore that of a master of life, as well as art. Thanks also to his presence and his various works scattered throughout the area, the city today boasts the title of Little Athens. We therefore remain alongside the family and, in full respect of the relatives’ wishes, we express our willingness to organize initiatives or tributes in memory of this great master.”

BIOGRAPHY

Fernando Botero was born in Medellin in 1932.

He first attended high school and then the Institute of Fine Arts in Medellin. At 16 he exhibited his works for the first time (1948) and collaborated on the newspaper “El Colombiano”, drawing the illustrations.
His first solo exhibition dates back to 1951, at the Leo Matiz Gallery in Bogota, where he moved in 1952 to frequent the cultural environment (Rivera, Siqueiros, Orozco) and where he won the “second prize” at the 9th Salon of Colombian Artists. With the money from the winnings he went to Europe and first attended the Royal Academy of San Fernando in Madrid (1952) and then the Academy of San Marco in Florence (1953). In 1955 he returned to Colombia, but immediately moved to Mexico. In 1957 he moved to Washington, where in 1958 the works exhibited at the Gres Gallery were all sold on the same day of the inauguration and at just 26 years old he obtained the chair of painting at the Academy of Art in Bogotá.
In 1959 he won the “International Guggenheim Prize” and participated in the V Biennial of São Paulo. Appointed Colombia’s representative at the 2nd Mexican Biennial, he was opposed and harshly criticized. He moves to New York. He presented his works in prestigious venues and in 1966 his first major European solo exhibition was held at the Staatliche Kunsthalle in Baden-Baden, Germany, where a large traveling exhibition opened in 1970. He divides his life between New York, Bogota and Europe; in 1973 he moved to Paris where he began making his first sculptures and presented his first solo exhibition in Italy at the Marlborough Gallery in Rome.
In addition to important international art galleries, he presents his paintings and sculptures in all the most important museums. He has received many awards and some of his works are preserved in public collections in museums around the world.

He died on September 15, 2023 A commemorative celebration in honor of the artist will take place on Saturday 7 October in Pietrasanta.