“Museo Botero”, a book to approach the collection donated by the teacher

The cultural department of Banco de la República launched a new edition of ‘Museo Botero’, a book dedicated to the museum’s collection, as a way of thanking the master for his generosity and celebrating his legacy.

The book, which was printed in Spain at the Palermo Graphic Art workshops, stands out for its quality and colour, and In its 330 pages, it allows a tour of the museum that begins with the international works that were part of Botero’s personal collection and ends with those of the master.

The new publication also includes texts by Juan Manuel Bonet, Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz and Ana María Escallón, in addition to reviews of the works that are part of the collection. Starting on page number 175, the 123 works by Botero appear in detail, which make up the collection, preceded by an introduction by Ana María Escallón, “Fernando Botero, a realist utopian”, in which he speaks of the master, his achievements and his work.

Ángela Pérez, cultural deputy manager of the Banco de la República, clarified that, “by request, the texts that maestro Botero wanted were made, the books that he said were the ones that should be, all of them here are similar, the difference in this one is the detail of everything, the color, and the organization of the works”.

The book, which can be found in English and Spanish, is now available for sale at a price of $120,000 and from now on it is positioned as an essential piece in the libraries of Colombian homes.

The museum is the result of the donation, made by the teacher, of his private art collection

It opened its doors in 2000, after the donation of the personal collection of master Botero materialized and has brought the national and international public closer to it by taking a tour of the history of modern art from the end of the 19th century to the last decade of the 20th century. 20th century, with a special focus on the European avant-gardes of the early 20th century.

Thanks to individual or guided tours, museum visitors can learn about Botero’s work, which consists of 123 works, including paintings, sculptures, watercolors and drawings from the last decades of the 20th century, which allow visitors to enjoy the language and style that has characterized the painter in his maturity, in addition to the artist’s unbreakable connection with the reality of the country, from a critical perspective, the use of humor and irony, in addition to his characteristic use of volume and color that has earned him the universal recognition.

“It is an infinite pleasure for me to know that these works belong to Colombia today; knowing that the students who enter this house will come into contact with the most important artistic currents of our time, contemplating here permanently original works by great masters; knowing that lovers of painting and sculpture can come to visit this haven of peace and stroll quietly through these rooms, allowing themselves to be inundated by modern aesthetics” said master Botero, at the time of the museum’s inauguration.

The museum also has 85 works of the highest level that allow a complete journey through the evolution of modern painting and sculpture. The oldest work is Gitane au tambourin (before 1862) by the French painter Camille Corot and the most recent, the large oil painting by the Catalan artist Miquel Barceló (1998). You can also find works by leading artists such as Picasso, Leger, Renoir, Monet, Dalí, Giacometti, Beckmann, Freud, Calder and Bacon. With this donation, the Botero Museum is among the five most important public collections of international art in Latin America.

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