Colombian artist Fernando Botero, whose sculptures and paintings of playful, rotund subjects in sometimes harrowing situations made him one of the world’s richest artists, has died at 91.
Colombian artist Fernando Botero, whose sculptures and paintings of playful, rotund subjects in sometimes harrowing situations made him one of the world’s richest artists, died on September 15 at age 91.
“Fernando Botero has died, the painter of our traditions and defects, the painter of our virtues. The painter of our violence and of peace,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. But it was his Abu Ghraib series which commanded global attention. The paintings, based on victim accounts and photos taken of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers, are explicit and harrowing.said the paintings, while not masterpieces, “restore the prisoners’ dignity and humanity without diminishing their agony.”