On March 1, 2023, the auction “My friend Fernando Botero” was held in Sotheby’s, standing out as an event in which works were auctioned, mostly were by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, from the personal collection of Salomón and Rosita Lerner.
This couple, very friends of Master Botero, gathered an impressive selection of works that reflect the friendship and mutual appreciation between them.
Two canvases of this artist were positioned in his top 5 most expensive works of Fernando Botero.
1. Florero (US$2.7 million)
This oil on canvas by Fernando Botero painted in 1974, allows us to see through common objects his characteristic style.
The artist portrays a vase filled with different flowers in amplified proportions that emphasize the feeling of opulence and abundance that so much represents the artist,
making us feel that the bulky objects are about to come off the canvas.
The color palette brings the scene to life and sets a sense of calm. It is not only a celebration of nature, but also a reflection on the visual and emotional richness that can be found in the simplicity of things; it is a sample of the talent of the Colombian artist to transform the common into something extraordinary and eternal.
2. Jugando a las cartas ($2.2 million)
In this painting executed in 1988, Botero presents some characters who are playing cards in a peculiar atmosphere, which allows those who see this work to ask questions about the narrative of what is happening on the canvas.
Players, with their rounded bodies and expressive faces, take the prominence of the canvas, while the details, carefully crafted, are used to add depth and texture to the composition.
This is a scene already captured by many other important in the history of art, to which Botero pays tribute making this same story in its unmistakable style: the Boterismo.
An example of this is the series of cards and board games painted by artists such as Paul Cézanne and Édouard Manet in the 19th century. These French painters also explored the theme of the game and human interaction in their works, but with distinctive styles and approaches.
