Fernando Botero And His Remakes Of Classic Masterpieces

I must tell you something in secret - I love Fernando Botero's works. There is something really interesting in his paintings. This Colombian figurative artist and sculptor, born in Medellín in 1932 (yes, that Medellín from "Narcos"!) has his signature style, also known as "Boterismo". "Boterismo" depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political criticism or humor, depending on the piece. He is considered the most recognized and quoted living artist from Latin America, and his art can be found in highly visible places around the world, such as Park Avenue in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Botero loves to be inspired by classic art. Or maybe "inspiration" is a wrong word here - for me, Botero paints remakes of famous paintings. Just look:

1. La Fornarina, after Raphael

[caption id="attachment_8366" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Fernando Botero, La Fornarina, 2009, private collection[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4340" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Raphael, La Fornarina, 1518-20, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome[/caption]

2. La Menina, after Velasquez

[caption id="attachment_8368" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Fernando Botero, La Menina, 1982, private collection[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5560" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas, 1656. Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado[/caption]

3. The Arnolfini Portrait, after van Eyck

[caption id="attachment_8369" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Fernando Botero, The Arnolfini Portrait 2, 1978, private collection[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5559" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Jan van Eyck. Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife (the Arnolfini Portrait), 1434, The National Gallery, London[/caption]

4. Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière, after Ingres

[caption id="attachment_8370" align="aligncenter" width="406"] Fernando Botero, Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière, 1979, private collection[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8377" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière, 1806, Musée du Louvre, Paris[/caption]

5. Battista Sforza, after Piero della Francesca

[caption id="attachment_8371" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Fernando Botero, Battista Sforza, 1998, private collection[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8378" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Piero della Francesca, Battista Sforza, c. 1465–70, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence[/caption]

6. Federico da Montefeltro, after Piero della Francesca

[caption id="attachment_8373" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Fernando Botero, Federico da Montefeltro, 1998, private collection[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8380" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Piero della Francesca, Federico da Montefeltro, c. 1472, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence[/caption]

7. The Artist and His First Wife, after Peter Paul Rubens

[caption id="attachment_8374" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Fernando Botero, Rubens and His Wife, 1965, private collection[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8381" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Peter Paul Rubens, The Artist and His First Wife, circa 1609, Alte Pinakothek Munich[/caption]

8. Mona Lisa, after Leonardo da Vinci

[caption id="attachment_8372" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Fernando Botero, Mona Lisa, 1978, Botero Museum, Bogotá, Colombia[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6510" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, 1503, Louvre Museum, Paris[/caption]