Botero at the Brooks

In a little over a week, the Brooks will be opening a new exhibition of paintings, drawings, and sculptures by Fernando Botero.  It's going to be a really exciting exhibition, and we hope that you'll come out!  

If you have never seen Botero's work, imagine if Velasquez painted in the style of Diego Rivera.  He takes the human form and exaggerates its proportions to the point of absurdity.  The result?  Gigantic, quirky, round figures awash in hyperreal color that submit a darkly humorous commentary on the legacy of colonialism in South America. 

[caption id="attachment_153" align="alignnone" width="253" caption="Our Lady of Colombia (1992)"]

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Botero is among the most famous living artists from South America (born in Columbia), and we are very lucky to be able to show such an extensive group coming straight from his private collection.  Some of the works have never been seen in public before!  There will be roughly 100 pieces on display - the most complete showcase of Botero's work that has been seen in the past 30 years.

[caption id="attachment_154" align="alignnone" width="248" caption="The Widow (1997)"]

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There will also be three of his oversized sculptures greeting you as you come into the museum.  When they came to install them last week, there was definitely excitement in the air (no pun intended!).  We were watching outside as the crew carefully set them up. It was incredible to see this massive, reclining bronze figure being lowered onto the lawn by cranes. 

The Baroque World of Fernando Botero opens on Sunday, October 19 and is on view through January 11, 2009.  Hope to see you there!