Archivio Carlo Orsi

Fernando Botero (1932-2023) was a celebrated Colombian painter and sculptor, known worldwide for his unique style characterized by voluminous figures and exaggerated forms, often referred to as “boterismo.” Peculiarity of his creations is therefore the unusual enlargement of his subjects, often portrayed with vacant gazes lost in the void. 

After studying in Colombia, Botero continued his education in Europe, attending the San Fernando Academy in Madrid and traveling between Paris and Florence, where he deepened his knowledge of Renaissance art. Throughout his career, he depicted scenes of everyday life, portraits, still lifes and political themes with an ironic, sometimes critical, but always deeply humanist perspective. His monumental sculptures are exhibited in numerous cities around the world, including New York, Paris, and Bogotá. An independent and recognizable artist, Botero has been able to combine tradition and modernity, bringing Latin American culture to the forefront of the international art scene.

Fernando Botero began spending time in Pietrasanta as early as the 1970s, attracted by the renowned expertise in marble and bronze work. In 1983 he purchased a villa in the hills and opened a studio not far from Piazza del Duomo, where that same year Carlo Orsi portrayed him surrounded by his sculptures. From then on, Pietrasanta became for him a privileged place of creation and inspiration, where the artist over the decades produced many of his monumental sculptures.