Fernando Botero to the Palau Martorell

Just over a year after his death, the Palau Martorell hosts the most comprehensive painting exhibition ever held in Spain, paying tribute to Fernando Botero (Medellín, Colombia, 1932 - Monaco, 2023), one of the most important artists of the 20th century now part of Art History. His creative, original, and innovative proposal, through a language of monumental volumes and vibrant color, gave rise to his own style, boterism, making his work immediately recognizable.

The exhibition, curated by Lina Botero and Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz, explores the extraordinary versatility of Fernando Botero in the use of different painting techniques and the richness this brought to his work. For this reason, a collection of more than 110 works has been brought together, many of them unpublished, from private collections, including sculptures, oils, watercolors, sanguines, charcoals, and pencil drawings.

"Fernando Botero: A Universal Master" also analyzes the important relationship of the Colombian artist with Spain and Italy, as well as the fundamental influence that both countries had on his work. For this reason, two exceptional works will be seen for the first time in our country: a version of Velázquez's 'Las Meninas,' which has always been hanging in Botero's Paris studio, and 'Homenaje a Mantegna,' an extraordinary loan from a private collection in the United States, recently discovered by Lina Botero through Christie's. These pieces are complemented, among others, by his iconic series on classic themes he cherished, such as those dedicated to Latin America, the circus, religion, still life, and his versions of masterpieces from art history.

"Fernando Botero: A Universal Master" is produced and organized by Palau Martorell and Arthemisia in collaboration with the Fernando Botero Foundation, and has Clear Channel as a partner.