BOTERO BEAUTY IN VOLUME II
David Benrimon Fine Art
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FERNANDO
BOTERO BEAUTY IN VOLUME II
October 22 - December 22, 2015
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Curated By Alex Benrimon 4
Contents Paintings
7
Sculptures
23
Works on Paper
39
About the Arist
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“ I paint only from imagination and memory. In my Studio, all I have in front of me is my canvas no model, no object.� - Fernando Botero
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Paintings
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Ballerina
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Oil on canvas, 2005 14 1/8 x 14 1/8 in. 36.2 x 36.2 cm.
The ballerina is one of Botero’s most sought-after subjects and is a recurring theme found throughout his oeuvre. The subject may be yet another tribute to his predecessors. Botero captures his ballerinas in idyllic moments, each dancer gracefully suspended in space and time. In Ballerina from 2005, the hard edge of the bush and the trees, punctuated by a light and tranquil blue sky filled with wispy clouds suggest that they are not a natural setting but rather the backdrop of a stage performance. The ballerina, like all great Botero portraits, is a stout and sumptuous woman offering a whimsical Boterismo twist on traditional depictions of dancers.
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2
The Bedroom
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Oil on canvas, 2009 79 x 55 in. 200.7 x 139.7 cm.
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Reclining Nude with Book
Oil on canvas, 2005 50 1/2 x 81 in. 128.3 x 92 cm.
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Clown con Palla
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Oil on canvas, 2007 47 5/8 x 38 1/8 in. 121 x 96.8 cm.
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Trainer with Tiger Oil on canvas, 2007 55 1/2 x 72 in. 141 x 183 cm.
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Still life with Couple
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Oil on canvas, 2013 38 2/5 x 48 2/5 in. 97.5 x 122.9 cm.
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The Hunter
Oil on canvas, 2011 19 x 15 3/4 in. 48.3 x 40 cm.
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Man and Woman Oil on canvas, 2013 39 x 32 in. 99 x 101.6 cm.
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Guitar Players
Oil on canvas, 2003 11 x 15 in. 27.9 x 38.1 cm.
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Cantante
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Sanguine on canvas, 2013 46 7/8 x 39 3/8 in. 27.9 x 38.1 cm.
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Sitting Woman
Sanguine on canvas, 2010 58 1/4 x 39 in. 148 x 99 cm.
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Society Woman Oil on canvas, 2003 61 x 48 in. 155 x 123 cm.
Botero has created a unique body of Baroque and Renaissance inspired paintings. They refer to the great master artists in history, but in a more modern context. His society women portraits depict staples of Renaissance painting such as lavish garments, rich colors, background drapery, and figures that exude extravagance. Society Woman from 2003 depicts a plump aristocratic woman who exudes femininity-dressed in a red-ruffled gown and accessorized with evening gloves, a clutch, and adorned with jewels.
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“Sculptures permit me to create real volume...
one can touch the forms, one can give them smoothness, the sensuality that one wants.� - Fernando Botero
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Sculptures
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Man on a Horse
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Bronze, 2010
51 x 30 3/8 x 24 in. 129.5 x 77.2 x 61 cm.
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Cavallo
Bronze, 2013 38 1/8 x 18 7/8 x 33 1/2 in. 96.8 x 47.9 x 85.1 cm.
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Maternity
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Bronze, 2006
19 1/4 x 7 3/4 x 7 1/2 in. 48.9 x 19.7 x 19.1 cm.
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Donna Seduta su Cubo
Bronze, 2006
17 x 11 x 12 1/2 in. 43.2 x 28 x 31.8 cm.
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Dancers
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Bronze, 2012 26 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 10 in. 67.3 x 41.9 x 25.4 cm.
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Ballerina
Bronze, 2007 25 1/2 x 16 1/10 x 9 4/5 in. 64.8 x 40.9 x 24.9 cm.
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Woman on the Horse
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Bronze, 2008
22 2/5 x 18 x 10 in. 56.9 x 45.7 x 25.4 cm.
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Donna Sdraiata con Coperta Mano su Testa
Bronze, 2006
9 x 23 x 7 3/5 in. 22.9 x 58.4 x 19.3 cm.
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The rounded forms of Botero’s painted figures are mirrored in his sculptural work, which are fabricated in bronze. Donna su Cavallo was executed on a monumental scale; works of this size are often displayed as public art. Botero uses recognizable themes from history and mythology while trying to capture the humanity and humor inherent in these stories. In Donna su Cavallo Botero depicts a larger-than-life voluptuous nude female figure riding bareback atop a monumental horse.
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Donna Sdraiata con Coperta Mano su Testa
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Bronze, 2015
139 x 60 x 89 in. 353 x 152 x 226 cm.
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While Botero often alludes to Renaissance work, in Rapto D’Europa he explicitly reimagines the Greek mythological tale. Rather than a female figure on horseback, the Rape of Europe depicts the abduction of the Phoenician goddess atop a bull. As always, Botero’s iteration is more playful. His depiction of Europa appears calm and relaxed, a stark contrast from Titian’s famous Rapto D’Europa in which the female goddess appears distressed, arms flailing as she is whisked away.
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Rapto d’Europa
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Bronze, 2007
114 x 120 x 62 in. 289.6 x 304.8 x 157.5 cm.
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“Man needs music, literature, and
painting–all those oasis of perfection that make up art–to compensate for the rudeness and materialism of life.” - Fernando Botero
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Works on Paper
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Circus Woman
Watercolor on paper, 2000 40 x 30 in. 101.6 x 76.2 cm.
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Oranges
Mixed media on paper, 1990 12 x 15 in. 30.5 x 38.1 cm.
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Venus
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Graphite on amate on paper, 1997 20 1/4 x 15 5/8 in. 51.4 x 39.7 cm.
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Woman with Mirror
Charcoal and pastel on paper, 2009 15 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. 40 x 29.8 cm.
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Little Girl with her Cat
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Mixed media on paper, 2009 41 x 25 1/2 in. 104.1 x 64 cm.
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Pas de Deux
Watercolor on paper, 2006 16 1/8 x 12 in. 41 x 30.5 cm.
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Uomo con Violino Pencil on paper, 2006 12 1/4 x 16 1/8 in. 31.1 x 41 cm.
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Untitled (St. George)
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Sanguine and ink on paper, 1983 19 1/2 x 16 3/4 in. 49.3 x 42.5 cm.
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Clown con Palla
Mixed media on paper, 2007 13 3/4 x 16 1/2 in. 34.9 x 41.9 cm.
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Man with rooster
Pencil on paper, 2006 16 x 12 in. 40.6 x 30.5 cm.
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Natura Morte
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Charcoal on paper, 2006 14 3/8 x 11 3/4 in. 37.1 x 28.8 cm.
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Naturaleza Muerta con Sandia
Pencil on paper, 1997 13 3/4 x 16 3/4 in. 34.9 x 42.5 cm.
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Still Life
Pencil on paper, 1977 14 x 17 in. 35.6 x 43.2 cm.
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About the Artist Fernando
Botero was born in MedellĂn, Colombia located in the heart of the Andes Mountains in 1932. He draws inspiration from diverse influences, from Renaissance masters like Giotto and Paolo Uccello to 20th century Abstract Expressionists. Botero’s signature style is characterized by the use of rotund figures and inflated forms. His 1961 work Mona Lisa, Age 12 exemplifies his use of the dynamic brushwork typical of abstract expressionism, although used to depict the figure rather than for pure abstraction. In addition to employing techniques from major movements, Botero’s paintings frequently emulate the subject matter and compositions of past masters, his bulbous renderings of these familiar images often interpreted as gestures of irony or caricature. By always returning to the plump and curvaceous human forms, for which he is famous, Botero is recognizing the necessity of creating artwork that is sociologically opposite to contemporary standards. What makes a great artist is not only vision, but also the ability to participate in the larger conversation. This requires rigorous study of art history, observation of the canon, and the ability to build upon what was learned.
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Botero, a great admirier of art history, uses contemporary elements and themes from his everyday existence to invent a truly innovative oeuvre. He is able to synthesize his own artistic vision by combining the world of Colombia with the aesthetics of the European masters to create a distinctive and unique world. Botero’s imagined world is populated with characters from MedellĂn; bullfighters, prostitutes, and street musicians. He portrays the poverty and violence that runs rampant in Columbia as well as typically satiric portrayals of Latin American presidents, first ladies, government officials, and aristocrats. Possibly allluding to the subjects’ inflated sense of self-importance. He playfully depicts these large characters as approachable and intimate, despite their almost farcical appearance. In this way, the viewer has an intimate view of these magnificent men and women all in a sensual ambiance filled with joy and color. Botero first achieved international fame on the Champs-Elysees in Paris where he had a major, outdoor retrospective of some of his larger works. It proved to be a huge success and garnered him international press and patronage. 51
His paintings, which boast a limited palette of ochre, cobalt and Prussian blue, are rare commodities sought after by avid art collectors. Botero has gained even more international fame with his sculptural work that feature his signature corpulent men and women. The rotund figures not only demonstrate Botero’s ability to portray individuals or stereotypes of Medellín residents, but also the universalization of sculptural forms that emphasize their gracefulness. They portray a rare irony, as in contemporary culture overly curved forms are the antithesis of grace. Yet Botero masterfully renders his forms so that they are both striking and elegant. The overwhelming “roundness” of these characters, whether they are bronze sculptures, painted on canvas, or drawn onto paper have become a legend in modern art history. Botero is a painter and sculptor who scoffs at new trends affecting the art world and continues to create obese but graceful women, thereby challenging, if not mocking popular Western culture.
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David Benrimon Fine Art The Crown Building 730 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor New York,10019 54 info@benrimon.com www.benrimon.com +1 212 628 1600