Biography of Fernando Botero
Biography of Fernando Botero
Fernando Botero was born in Medellin, Colombia in 1932. He was the son of a Colombian traveling salesman. At the age of twelve, Fernando Botero would receive training as a matador along with his usual school education. When he was sixteen, he attended his first exhibition along with other painter at Antioquia in Medellin. In 1951, at the age of nineteen, Fernando Botero moved to Bogota, Colombia’s capital. He shortly received his first solo exhibition at the Leo Matiz gallery. Botero later on went to Madrid, Spain to study art in both the 'Academia San Fernando' and the “Prado museum”. He then took his studies to Italy in 1953 where he studied art history. For a long time, Botero studied the technique of fresco painting and also copied some works from Giotto and Anrea del Castagno. After two years in Italy, He returned to Bogota, and an exhibition of his works in Italy flopped. In 1956, Botero married Gloria Zea and then moved to Mexico with her. While in Mexico, Botero was able to find his own style of painting, with the influence of the mural painting of Diego Rivera. Eventually Botero became the most famous young artist from Colombia and was also appointed as a professor for painting at the Bogota Art Academy. Botero moved to New York in 1960 and attained the Guggenheim National Prize for Colombia. However, in the same year he also split up with his wife. In 1965 Botero’s original style of painting became shown in his painting “The Pizon Familly”. Botero had created a plastic style of painting. He traveled to Europe in 1966 for his important European exhibition at the “Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden”. He followed his European exhibition with his first exhibition in a United States museum at the Milwaukee Art Center in the month of December. His U.S. exhibition lead to a breakthrough in the USA. Botero spent the following years in Colombia, Europe, and New York. Botero re-married in 1970 and had a first child named Pedro.
Fernando Botero was born in Medellin, Colombia in 1932. He was the son of a Colombian traveling salesman. At the age of twelve, Fernando Botero would receive training as a matador along with his usual school education. When he was sixteen, he attended his first exhibition along with other painter at Antioquia in Medellin. In 1951, at the age of nineteen, Fernando Botero moved to Bogota, Colombia’s capital. He shortly received his first solo exhibition at the Leo Matiz gallery. Botero later on went to Madrid, Spain to study art in both the 'Academia San Fernando' and the “Prado museum”. He then took his studies to Italy in 1953 where he studied art history. For a long time, Botero studied the technique of fresco painting and also copied some works from Giotto and Anrea del Castagno. After two years in Italy, He returned to Bogota, and an exhibition of his works in Italy flopped. In 1956, Botero married Gloria Zea and then moved to Mexico with her. While in Mexico, Botero was able to find his own style of painting, with the influence of the mural painting of Diego Rivera. Eventually Botero became the most famous young artist from Colombia and was also appointed as a professor for painting at the Bogota Art Academy. Botero moved to New York in 1960 and attained the Guggenheim National Prize for Colombia. However, in the same year he also split up with his wife. In 1965 Botero’s original style of painting became shown in his painting “The Pizon Familly”. Botero had created a plastic style of painting. He traveled to Europe in 1966 for his important European exhibition at the “Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden”. He followed his European exhibition with his first exhibition in a United States museum at the Milwaukee Art Center in the month of December. His U.S. exhibition lead to a breakthrough in the USA. Botero spent the following years in Colombia, Europe, and New York. Botero re-married in 1970 and had a first child named Pedro.