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


2. La Menina, after Velasquez


3. The Arnolfini Portrait, after van Eyck


4. Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière, after Ingres


5. Battista Sforza, after Piero della Francesca


6. Federico da Montefeltro, after Piero della Francesca


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


8. Mona Lisa, after Leonardo da Vinci

