Fernando Botero (Colombian Artist) Free Essay Example, 2000 words

In his Mona Lisa, he replaces the Italian background with erupting volcanoes, a distinctive feature of South America. Botero also features religion in his work. During his time, the Catholic Church was a distinctive feature of Latin America. It had massive influence in the lives of people throughout the region. Indeed it practically dominated everything in South America. For example, it was active and powerful in the society, politics, culture, and even people’s private lives. Thus, by featuring religion in his work, Botero reveals his Latin American identity. In addition to religion, Botero features politics in his works. Many countries in the region have encountered both civilian and military rule. Through his works, Botero satirizes Latin American politics that are characterized by military coups and human rights abuses. Thus, by featuring the distinct politics of the region, Botero discloses his ties with Latin America. 2. Bullfighting Bullfighting became Botero’s second major theme in his painting career. Although he had ignored the subject matter, he made a dramatic return that provided him with inexhaustible content to illustrate. His focus was mainly on the bullfighting that is considered bad, perhaps a portrayal of his hatred towards inaccuracy. We will write a custom essay sample on Fernando Botero (Colombian Artist) or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now However, the paintings could still be interpreted as a representation of his ideas about reality. To him, what matters is not the faultless illustration of reality, but the creation of the artist’s aesthetic. 3. Violence Violence is also a characteristic feature of some of Botero’s works. Botero has produced two major series of paintings featuring violence. The first series features his native Colombia. Through this series, Botero chose to expose Colombia’s bloody history in some of his paintings. Throughout the twentieth century, Colombia’s politics was dominated by military coups and bloodshed. The subject matter inspired Botero. His purpose of focusing on violence was to reveal what was happening. However, he did not have the intention of changing the situation in his country. The second major series of Botero’s work featuring violence is Abu Ghraib, his impression of Iraqi detainees in the hands of U. S. forces. Botero was inspired by the 2004 revelations of torture of Iraqi detainees in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. He obtained most of his information from newspapers. Some of the paintings depict naked men with their hands or legs suspended from the roofs of the cells. Others depict blindfolded detainees with blood-stained clothes, an indication of torture.