In the '60s, I did many satirical portraits of dictators. Fernando Botero 60sdictatorportrait Change image and share on social
I was drawing a mandolin, and I made the sound hole very small, which made the mandolin look gigantic. I saw that making the details small made the form monumental. So in my figures, the eyes, the mouth are all small, and the exterior form is huge. Fernando Botero detaildrawexterior share on social
I had wanted to be a sculptor throughout life, but to do so, I had to stop painting. Fernando Botero lifepaintsculptor Change image and share on social
All the animals I've painted always have a relationship with man. I have been told that part of the knowledge of the human anatomy comes from animals. Fernando Botero anatomyanimalhave Change image and share on social
Nobody ever told me, 'Art is this.' This was good luck in a way because I would have had to spend half of my life forgetting everything that I had been told, which is what happens with most students in schools of fine arts. Fernando Botero artfineforget share on social
I love my country, and it hurts not to be able to see my country, as I did for so many years. I hope that I will one day be able to live in a peaceful Colombia. Fernando Botero colombiacountryday Change image and share on social
Art is always an exaggeration in some sense; in color, in form, even in theme, etc... but it has always been this way. It is the same with the nature of some works by Giotto or Massacio, or the color of life as expressed by Van Gogh. Fernando Botero artcolorexaggeration share on social
There's nothing more superficial to do than to paint a beautiful woman. The most beautiful portraits in art were of ugly women. If you paint Brigitte Bardot, it's a disaster. Sunsets, you have to stay away from sunsets. You paint a sunset, you are in great danger. Fernando Botero artbardotbeautiful share on social
My popularity has to do with the divorce between modern art, where everything is obscure, and the viewer who often feels he needs a professor to tell them whether it's good or not. I believe a painting has to talk directly to the viewer, with composition, color and design, without a professor to explain it. Fernando Botero artcolorcomposition share on social