One of Colombia’s finest and most fascinating modern artists is celebrated in the Botero Museum. This modern art museum, which was founded after a donation from Fernando Botero himself, combines an array of his own pieces with a range of works from other modern masters.
The Botero Museum was opened in the year 2000 after Botero made a large gift from his private collection. The donation included more than 200 sculptures and paintings, some of which are his own works and some of which are originals from other famous artists.
Head to the museum’s western wing to see the Fernando Botero collection, home to over 120 works by the great man himself. Botero was most famous for his sculpture work, which developed into a distinctive style involving voluptuous depictions of animal or human forms. Look out for his delightful rounded figures in the sculpture section. Hombre a Caballo (Man on Horse) and El Sueño (The Dream) are among the highlights there.
Botero’s donation also included samples of his work in other media. Look through his selection of pencil drawings, especially the portraits of artists Gustave Courbet and Paul Cézanne. Among his most notable paintings you will find a cheeky caricature of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the vibrant Pareja Bailando (Dancing Couple).
The museum’s eastern wing holds the international art collection, which is arranged in chronological order starting in the 19th century with French Impressionism. A wide range of styles are represented in this section, from Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir to Joan Miró and Francis Bacon. Look out for Pablo Picasso’s Hombre Sentado con Pipa (Seated Man with Pipe) and Salvador Dalí’s Busto Retrospectivo de Mujer (Retrospective Bust of a Woman) in particular.
The Botero Museum is part of downtown Bogotá’s Manzana Cultural (Cultural Square) in the historical district of La Candelaria, a short walk from Plaza de Bolívar.
The museum is open on every day of the week except Tuesday. Admission is free, and an informative audio guide is available for a small fee. Check the museum’s website for information about opening hours and guided tours.
