The Baroque World of Fernando Botero (Hardcover)

~ (Author), David Elliott (Contributor), Edward J. Sullivan (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Botero's oversized figures are instantly recognizable, his opulent paintings and sculptures loved the world over, yet there have been few books about his work and very little incisive criticism. Now, as museums across the country prepare for the first traveling Botero retrospective in three decades, this beautifully produced, in-depth overview of Botero's life and oeuvre provides a much-needed key to his uniquely baroque sensibility, technical virtuosity, and profound humanitarian concerns. Born in 1932 in Medellin, Colombia, Botero apprenticed himself to the great European tradition while remaining spiritually rooted in his war-torn homeland. In one of many striking observations, Sillevis aligns Botero's baroque fullness of form with the magic realism of Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Studies in beauty and terror, Botero's monumental figures can be sensual, and many are large with pain and sorrow. Like Goya, Botero often depicts violence, but no works attain the moral weight of his Abu Ghraib series. Some examples of these overwhelming paintings are included here, and all 50 shocking and resounding images are found in I^ Botero: Abu Ghraib (Prestel, 2006). As Botero has said, "Art continues a common remembrance or testimony [or leaves] a permanent accusation." Donna Seaman
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Product Description

Colombian-born Fernando Botero (b. 1932) is a painter, sculptor, and draftsman renowned for his extravagantly rounded figures combining the polish and excess of Spanish colonial baroque with the social realism of the Mexican muralists. Their humorous exaggeration belies the more serious content of Botero’s work—commentary on colonialism, political instability in Latin America, and the vernacular artistic traditions of the region, as well as European art history. 

Accompanying the artist’s first American retrospective in over thirty years, The Baroque World of Fernando Botero is the most extensive study of his life and work to date. Drawn exclusively from Botero’s private collection, the 100 works featured in this book, including previously unpublished paintings and drawings, represent the full scope of his oeuvre from a uniquely personal perspective. Many of these—portraits of friends and family members and remembered scenes—have remained in the artist’s possession since their creation, while others he has bought back over the years as markers of significant developments in his career. Three essays examine the artist’s creative life, from the aesthetic environment in which Botero developed his unique style to his catalyzing influence on the Colombian art world of the 1960s and 70s.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 283 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (February 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300123590
• ISBN-13: 978-0300123593
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #303,187 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #23 in	Books > History > Americas > South America > Colombia
  #34 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Rococo
  #46 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Baroque

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baroque Botero, Beautiful Book, September 22, 2007

By	Sugar Cookie "Sugar Cookie" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

Most important in such a book is that the reproductions are well done and these are. Excellent reproductions of Botero's masterful paintings, drawings, and sculptures. If you aren't able to see the exhibit firsthand, the catalogue is not a bad substitute. The text is interesting and succinctly written. Even the orange ribbon page-marker is a nice touch. This luscious book is a shining example of what an art catalogue should be.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Botero , April 5, 2008

By	T. Rubin - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A good look at Botero's work. The experience with Amazon was another story. Book arrived damaged and Amazon's customer service is pretty awful. It is impossible to speak to a customer service rep and when I tried to return the book, their web site would not allow me to code the book as a personal purchase, only as a "gift", so I had to find something else I wanted to use their amazon "credit" for since they did not permit me to receive a cash or charge card credit. Again, it is impossible to email or call anyone at amazon. Therefore, this is a good book, so if you want it, it would be a good idea to buy it somewhere else, like [...], which is probably cheaper and at least they care if you have a problem.