He was one of those artists who devoted their entire lives to their art, to offering others their vision of the world. Famous for his voluptuous characters, world-renowned painter and sculptor, Colombian Fernando Botero died on Friday at the age of 91. “Fernando Botero, the painter of our traditions and our faults, the painter of our virtues, is dead,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Friday on the X network (formerly Twitter).
According to his daughter Lina, Fernando Botero, born in 1932 in Medellin, in central Colombia, died in Monaco, where he lived, at 9 a.m. His state of health had deteriorated in recent days, and he died of “pneumonia”. “He continued to paint until the end and again on Saturday,” she added, specifying that her father “suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years”, which did not give him “tremors” but “ it was difficult for him to walk, communicate and swallow.”
Medellin and Colombia in mourning
“He is the most Colombian of Colombians because he always carried Colombia in his heart. Not only because he kept up to date with Colombian news, sensitive to the needs and areas in which he could help, but also because Colombia and its memories nourished his artistic work,” he said. she declared. From Friday morning in Bogota, onlookers gathered in front of one of the master’s works, the imposing Man on Horseback, at the entrance to a park near the historic center of the capital.
Visitors also flocked with increased interest to the works exhibited at the Botero Museum, a stone’s throw from Plaza de la Candelaria, in a Spanish colonial building housing around a hundred of his works. The Colombian press hailed Friday in unison “the greatest Colombian artist of all time”, the “universal” or planetary artist, and his hometown of Medellin decreed seven days of mourning to “pay homage to the master (… ) after a life full of works and a legacy which will remain forever in the hearts of all the inhabitants of the city, indicated its mayor Daniel Quintero.
“Medellin will also dress in different places with the face of Fernando Botero”, indicates the cultural service of the municipality, while the city will offer “conferences, readings and actions aimed at commemorating and exalting the life and work » of the sculptor. Still according to the municipality, the remains “of the Maestro will be buried in Pietrasanta, Italy, next to those of his wife Sophia Vari, a Greek sculptor who died on May 5” after 48 years of living together. A departure which caused him “infinite sadness” according to his daughter.
The dove of peace
Coming from a modest background, Fernando Botero was introduced to art very early and after a first individual exhibition in Bogota in the 1950s, he left for Europe, staying in Spain, France and Italy where he discovered the classical art. His career took off in the 1970s in New York, where he began to be contacted by the biggest art dealers. The extraordinary dimensions will become its trademark.
His most famous work remains “The Dove of Peace”, a 70 cm high bronze sculpture given to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2016, as Colombia was on the verge of signing a historic peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas. Symbol of freedom, “The dove of peace” will find itself prisoner of the polarization of the country invited to pronounce on the agreements concluded between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) at the end of four years of after tough negotiations.
“It’s a sculpture that will inspire millions of Colombians to say yes to the end of the war,” said Juan Manuel Santos during a handover ceremony for the work. But on October 2, the “no” vote narrowly won at the polls. After some modifications to the initial text, the peace pact was signed in November of the same year. The sculpture, like the agreement, has since been the subject of political controversy.