Hombre que fuma

Fernando Botero

Fernando Botero’s signature style—which transcends his paintings, prints, and sculptures—is characterized by round, apparently inflated figures. The artist draws inspiration from diverse influences which range from Renaissance masters such as Rubens and Velázquez to 20th-century Abstract Expressionists and Diego Rivera’s murals. Botero’s bulbous renderings of art historical characters have been interpreted as gestures of irony or caricature. Born in Medellín, Colombia, the primarily self-taught artist decamped to Europe in the 1950s and immersed himself in art in Paris, Madrid, and Florence. In the ensuing decades, he’s exhibited at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, and Moderna Museet in Stockholm. His work now sells for millions at auction. Botero is also celebrated for his bronze, large-scale public sculptures.