Fernando Botero Angulo (1932-present) was born in Medillin, Colombia. A figurative, abstract artist and sculptor, his style is known for depicting people and animals in large sizes and is called ‘Boterismo’. Botero was highly influenced by the Baroque style of colonial churches and life in his home town of Medellin as well as the political murals of Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Botero says of his “fat” figures, “An artist is attracted to certain kinds of form without knowing why. You adopt a position intuitively; only later do you attempt to rationalize or even justify it.”
He first started drawing in 1948 and had his illustrations published in El Colombiano. In the same year, his work was first exhibited. Later he moved to Madrid and then Paris and Italy where he studied and continued to exhibit his work. His rise to prominence started in 1958 when he won the first prize at the Salon de Artistas Colombianos.
Many of Botero’s works are of cats especially his sculptures. These large cat sculptures can be found in many major cities of the world. Paintings of women often include a cat or cats perhaps used as a symbol of femininity and/or domesticity.
Barcelona
Barcelona
Venice, Italy
Singapore
Yerevan, Armenia
Seated Woman with a Cat
1955
Seated Woman with a Cat
1955, detail
Arnolfini 1978
The Cat
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