11/11/2025 General, Modern & Contemporary Art, General Paintings
Among the most iconic works of contemporary Latin American art are those by Fernando Botero. Born in 1932, Botero mastered painting, sculpture, and public installations over the course of his career and remains one of the most exhibited contemporary artists in the world. Botero’s works evoke a sense of joyous sensuality and pleasure through their abundant forms. They serve as a reminder to viewers that bodies are meant to thrive and move through life with enjoyment.
The Colombian artist spent much of his life outside of South America, in New York, Paris, and Tuscany, but his message remained rooted in Latin American figuration. Botero grew up in the colonial town of Medellín, Colombia, largely raised by his widowed mother. At the wish of one of his uncles, he briefly attended a school for bullfighting but was far more interested in sketching the dramatic scenes than participating himself. Even as a child, Botero’s eye for the energy and animation of Latin American life was admirable. In 1952, Botero won the second prize for his painting exhibited at the ninth salon of Colombian artists and gathered enough funds to travel to Europe, the true artistic hub at the time.
His time in Spain and Italy was transformative. Botero learned more by copying great masters in the Museo del Prado and Uffizi Galleries, artists like Diego Velázquez and Piero della Francesca, than he did in the classroom. He became enthralled by the form and technical precision of the Italian Renaissance masters, claiming it was one of his largest inspirations. These museums were his true professors, leaving him lessons to remember decades into his career. At a time when many artists favored emotional gesture and impulse, Botero depicted classically inspired and balanced compositions with a youthful touch.
After his European travels, Botero landed in Mexico City in 1956 and developed his signature ‘Boterismo’ style. While painting a still life for an exhibition at the Pan-American Union in Washington, DC, he unknowingly deformed one of the instruments in the composition by painting a tiny hole in the center of the guitar. While still discernible as a mandolin, the instrument suddenly possessed an unreal and imaginative aura. This amusing discovery in Still Life with Mandolin, 1957, thus defined his iconic voluminous style that audiences recognize instantly. Botero has remarked that this finding was a natural part of his artistic process, leading him down a path of creativity.
Botero applies exaggerated size to all elements of his paintings, living or inanimate. Nuns, shoes, circus clowns, and still lifes are equally blown up into gigantic forms. While he favored figuration for modern abstraction, his scenes are not meant to be realistic. In his paintings, Botero exemplifies how shapes can assume delightful and humorous forms. The satire that lingers in Botero’s creations keeps collectors and art enthusiasts enchanted by his work.
Cavallerizza, 2007 (Lot 204) is a softly rendered watercolor of a cavallerizza, the Italian word for horsewoman. A cavallerizza also translates to mean an Italian equestrian school. One of the most historic riding centers in Italy is the Cavallerizza Reale in Turin, an academy built in 1740 for young aristocrats. Botero's fascination with Italian culture began at a young age and led him to purchase a home in Pietrasanta, Tuscany, where he worked and lived for over forty years. The cultural rhythm of Italian life is evidently seen in Botero’s later works.
Botero’s graphite and watercolor compositions are simple yet captivating. Made in 2007, Cavallerizza is from Botero’s mature period of his career. The sketch presents an equestrian woman in an elegant stance. Her hands clutch the end of her decorative tutu as she gracefully extends her right leg. As with all of Botero's portraits, she stares directly at the viewer, expressing the perfect balance of confidence and composure. Her gaze is self-assured, as if she is fully aware of her theatrical charm that captivates her spectators. The horsewoman’s decorative outfit combines colorful designs, creating a flamboyant riding uniform.
Botero’s choice of color in Cavallerizza creates an intimate and inviting atmosphere. The cavallerizza is surrounded by a loosely painted golden background and wears warm hues of yellow and orange on her costume. This welcoming color palette arouses a pleasant mood in the viewer and reflects the sensual satisfaction often found in Botero’s works.
Botero's paintings are a delightful demonstration that art can be entertaining and extravagant in our contemporary world. Even in Botero’s more serious settings, such as dangerous brothels or prison cells, the gigantic form of his figures put viewers at ease. They occupy their compositions confidently, reminding us that bodies are meant to take up space.
— Joanie Farley
DOYLE New York
Intern 2025
Auction Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 11am
Exhibition November 15 - 17
Lot 204
Fernando Botero
Colombian, 1932-2023
Cavallerizza, 2007
Signed Botero 07, Watercolor and graphite on paper, 16 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches.
Estimate: $40,000-60,000
