We are all women: Botero pays homage to the female universe

Which artist has best captured the female universe? Few have been able to portray women in all their facets as well as Fernando Botero. To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, we would like to remind you that ARTIKA has a tribute that the maestro devotes to the great protagonists of his art: Botero’s Women, an exclusive edition that includes 45 drawings selected by the artist.

They change history

The female form is central to Botero’s iconography. In fact, his art cannot be understood without the presence of women.

In his early period, he chose La Gioconda, a major symbol in the history of art, to create a painting that would mark a before and after in his career: Mona Lisa, Age 12 (1959).

Since then, Botero has excelled in his portraits of powerful, exuberant women brimming with vitality.

They choose their own role

Women not only play a role in Botero’s paintings, but reveal their complexity across all contexts and genres, be they mythological, folkloric or religious themes. His paintings tell stories in which we discover seamstresses, dancers, bathers, readers, girls, mothers and artist’s models.

Some of his mise-en-scènes, even everyday scenes, reference the figure of Venus, goddess of love and beauty, while religious themes are embodied in the images of nuns, a recurrent theme in his paintings.

Botero also approached the roles played by women from a critical perspective, like when he depicts undervalued female workers like

maids, for example, who are often painted smaller than the rest of the piece’s subjects.

They never give up

Women are empowered and expressive in Botero’s art. They are protagonists, not passive characters. Their rounded forms do not merely display their bodies but are sensual without having to be docile.

Both in the genre scenes and in works such as The Rape of Europa, Botero’s women are triumphant and self-possessed. They are happy when they are alone, independent in the group portraits, even expressing strength when they are sad or disconsolate.

In short, all women form part of his art. The maestro depicts them through an extensive symbolism, always with an empathetic approach and an execution which, beyond forms and colours, portrays their inner world.

The feminine universe in a limited edition

Botero’s Women showcases the essence of the maestro’s art. An artist’s book that exclusively brings together 45 drawings of women, selected by the author, along with articles that delve into the artist’s career and style.

Discover Botero’s Women: a work of art that pays tribute to the female figure.