Botero's work includes still-lifes and landscapes, but Botero tends to primarily focus on situational portraiture. His paintings and sculptures are united by their proportionally exaggerated, or "fat" figures, as he once referred to them.[8]

Botero explains his use of these "large people", as they are often called by critics, or obese figures and forms thus:

"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."[citation needed]

Botero is an abstract artist in the most fundamental sense of the word, choosing what colors, shapes, and proportions to use based on intuitive aesthetic thinking. Though he currently spends only one month a year in Colombia, he considers himself the "most Colombian artist living" due to his insulation from the international trends of the art world.[9]

Botero gained considerable attention in 2005 for his Abu Ghraib collection, which began as an idea he had on a plane, finally culminating in more than 85 paintings and 100 drawings.[10]

The Circus collection followed in 2008, with 20 works of oil and watercolor.

Las Meninas (1656) 773x881 JPEG

Perhaps his greatest work. Perhaps just the greatest painting, period. The title until the 19th century was "The Royal Family". (Look for their Majesties in the mirror). "Meninas" means, roughly, "ladies-in-waiting", young nobles who attend the princess, the Infanta Maria Teresa (later married to Louis XIV of France). Sadly, she outgrew the cute phase and came to look like the rest of the

family. My favourite character? I agree with my niece in Spain, who has gazed at this enormous masterpiece for hours: the dog, the beautiful old dog so tolerant of his abuser, is fantastic.

**Look at end of this document – BOTEROS version**

Las Meninas (Spanish for The Maids of Honour)[1] is a 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age, in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work's complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer and the figures depicted. Because of these complexities, Las Meninas has been one of the most widely analysed works in Western painting.

Las Meninas shows a large room in the Madrid palace of King Philip IV of Spain, and presents several figures, most identifiable from the Spanish court, captured, according to some commentators, in a particular moment as if in a snapshot.[2] Some figures look out of the canvas towards the viewer, while others interact among themselves. The young Infanta Margarita is surrounded by her entourage of maids of honour, chaperone, bodyguard, two dwarfs and a dog. Just behind them, Velázquez portrays himself working at a large canvas. Velázquez looks outwards, beyond the pictorial space to where a viewer of the painting would stand.[3] A mirror hangs in the background and reflects the upper bodies of the king and queen. The royal couple appear to be placed outside the picture space in a position similar to that of the viewer, although some scholars have speculated that their image is a reflection from the painting Velázquez is shown working on.

Las Meninas has long been recognised as one of the most important paintings in Western art history. The Baroque painter Luca Giordano said that it represents the "theology of painting", while in the 19th century Sir Thomas Lawrence called the work "the philosophy of art". More recently, it has been described as "Velázquez's supreme achievement, a highly self-conscious, calculated demonstration of what painting could achieve, and perhaps the most searching comment ever made on the possibilities of the easel painting".[4]

Historical Context- Velasquez worked in the Spanish Court. King Philip IV and Mariana- The painting represents known figures - the Infanta Margarita & entourage (daughter of Phillip IV and Queen Mariana)- Dwarfs in Spanish court functioned to provide a contrast - a certain misrule. - The room is part of the royal house in Madrid- Painting is also understood as a visual statement of the social rank desired by the painter- Painters struggled to get social status: in the painting, the artist and king are represented together.

Narrative

In art, as long as you have ideas and think, you are bound to deform nature. Art is deformation.” – Fernando Botero

En 1996, Fernando Botero pinto una pintura que se llama “Una familia.” Es otro ejemplo del estilo que empezó en 1964.

Quiero tus opiniones. Comenta, por favor, sobre una de mis preguntas:

¿Qué piensas de la pintura? En tu opinión, ¿cómo es esta familia?

¿Por qué escogió Botero, el color para el vestido de la madre?

¿Por qué representó el artista, la criada (the maid) y el hermano como

las figuras pequeñas?

In art, as long as you have ideas and think, you are bound to deform nature. Art is deformation.” – Fernando Botero

In 1996, Fernando Botero created an oil painting entitled ‘A Family’. It is a perfect example of a style that emerged in approximately 1964, whereby the artist’s personal interpretations emerge on the canvas. Botero consistently applied this style to his paintings.

At first glance, ‘A Family’ tends to evoke a humorous response as all six figures in the painting are stout, but upon careful analysis, a symbolic nature soon becomes evident, as is often the case with many of Fernando Botero’s works. The short stature of the children’s nurse can be interpreted as the manner in which the members of the family perceive her role. The even smaller size of the soldier could be viewed as a direct attack on society, a powerful reflection of the lack of competence in dealing with a multitude of social concerns. The intensive blue of the mother’s dress amid

the earthy tones immediately draws the viewer’s attention, signifying a particular importance to the maternal role. Botero placed his figures in a circle, facing each other, thereby creating a feeling of family harmony and nicety

Fernando Botero is an artist who is always seeking excellence. He has a secret about aesthetics, saying that beauty is a personal image. Like Aristotle once said “All our knowledge comes from our own perceptions.” Botero's perceptions have particular references, in which subjective geometry impose rationalism. The themes in Fernando Botero's works are full of authenticity, developing his personal ideals whether it's in his paintings or sculptures.

He was born in 1932 in Medellin, Colombia, to a middle class family. Botero became interested in painting at an early age. As an adolescent, Botero saw in Medellin, the ceilings of chapels, altarpieces of churches, and their paintings of religious themes, all of which inspired him to be an artist.

Before turning twenty years old, Botero left Medellin. He moved to Bogotá in 1951, to become one of the most recognized artists of the world. He held his first one-man exhibition there at the Leo Matiz Gallery. The following year, he was awarded a Second Prize at the National Salon in Bogotá. With the money he earned from the Salon award and his exhibitions, Botero fulfilled his longtime desire to travel to Spain, France and Italy to study the work of the old masters. In Madrid, he visited El Prado Museum daily while studying at the San Fernando Academy. In Florence, he studied at the Academy of San Marcos and was profoundly influenced by the works of Giotto, Piero della Francesca, and Andrea del Castagno.

Botero moved to New York in 1960 and the following year the Museum of Modern Art of New York acquired his painting Mona Lisa. In 1973 Botero left New York for Paris and began to produce sculptures, although he never gave up painting. Fernando Botero makes the first work (sculpture) with clay. That is where Botero manages the sense of the clay and discovers his creations. Once again, the artist manages to transform some “gigantic monsters” into a special harmony. Then, that model is made in bronze. They are non-animated beings that reflect some themes of art history. Some examples of these are: Adam and Eve, Virgin with a child (Raphael), and the cat. That makes them monumental sculptures. Botero's sculptures have traveled throughout the world. Wherever the sculptures are, they humanize the urban space and then become icons of the world. Botero's sculptures have their own life, a life that doesn't project a real image, but reflects an image of fantasy.

To many, the numerous works by Botero are criticized. The social engagement of Botero may be observed in his works in different ways. Botero grew up during a terrible period in Colombia's history. The 1940's in Colombia was a period called ''la violencia'', a time where thousands of people involved in politics died. Also, Botero is also aware of more contemporary events in Colombia, where government troops battle the forces of drug lords on a daily basis. Many cities and neighborhoods throughout Colombia have become battle zones. This terrible reality has been reflected in works throughout Botero's career.

As a painter, Fernando Botero is known universally. As a sculptor, important museums, art galleries and avenues all over the world have seen exhibitions of his monumental work. Since 1972, Botero has had various individual exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe. In 1993, Botero

exhibited some of his sculptures along the Champs Elysees, the first time a non-French artist had done so. The artist has also had an individual exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. He has exhibited his works on streets of Madrid, Chicago, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and others.

“Boteresque” deformation is in some way modern. Botero has full control of his imagination and memory, allowing him to enlarge the diminutive and diminish the enormous, turning things to a fantastic idea of fiction.

Fernando Botero was awarded with the Honorary Degree as Doctor of Fine Arts on May 14, 1999, by the University of Miami. Today, the artist divides his time between Paris, Pietra Santa (Italy), New York, Colombia and Monte Carlo.

“What I do is a personal and intimate manifestation, that comes form my past, what I love, and what I have lived… I see it as a manifestation of my spirit.”

http://bakirita.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d961753ef01156f37140a970c-popup

Picasso's 1938 piece "La Fille de l'artiste a deux ans et demi avec un bateau" depicts his daughter, aged two at the time, holding a toy boat.

Maya was the daughter of Picasso's young mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter

Art historian Werner Spies described the portrait as "the most impressive Picasso ever devoted to a single child".

Like many of his favourite portraits of family members, the piece remained in Picasso's personal collection for 35 years until his death in 1973. Following this, it has been in a private collection since the 1980s.

Sold for 16 million pounds – 2009 – roughly 24 million $$

By the way…

Marie-Thérèse Walter (13 July 1909 – 20 October 1977) was the French mistress and model of Pablo Picasso from 1927 to about 1935, and the mother of his daughter, Maya Widmaier-Picasso. Their relationship began when she was seventeen years old; he was 45 and still living with his first wife, Olga Khokhlova. It ended when Picasso moved on to his next mistress, artist Dora Maar.

Final years with Picasso (1935-1940)

In 1935, Marie became pregnant. When Picasso's wife, Olga, was informed by a friend[who?][when?]

[why?] that her husband had a longtime mistress who was expecting a child, she immediately left Picasso with their son Paulo and moved to the South of France. Picasso and Olga never divorced, because Picasso wanted to avoid the even division of property dictated by French law; instead, they lived separately until her death in 1955.[clarification needed][citation needed]

On 5 September 1935, Picasso and Marie's daughter, María de la Concepción, called "Maya", was born. Marie and Maya stayed with Picasso at Juan-les-Pins in the South of France from 25 March to 14 May 1936, and then at Le Tremblay-sur-Mauldre, 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Versailles, where Picasso visited on the weekends and some weekdays to play with his daughter. Maya also modelled for some of his paintings, including Maya with Doll (1938).[citation needed]

Marie-Thérèse became jealous when Picasso fell in love with Dora Maar, a surrealist photographer and model for Picasso, in 1935. Once, she and Maar met accidentally in Picasso's studio when he was painting Guernica. Asked about this in later life, Picasso remarked that he had been quite happy with the situation and that when they demanded that he choose between them, he told them that they would have to fight it out themselves, at which point the two women began to wrestle. Picasso described it "as one of his choicest memories."[1]

Whereas Picasso portrays Dora in his works of art as dark and in pain, as the "woman in tears", he painted Marie-Thérèse as just the opposite: blonde and bright

http://bp0.blogger.com/_ir3J5uWAtvU/ReWudSbAf4I/AAAAAAAAATI/2HnMxr3Vy5k/s1600-h/Maya+with+a+Doll+-picasso.JPG

“La mano que mece la cuna rige el mundo”Peter de Vries(mecer; regir = to govern)

Joaquin Sorolla