BOGOTA – Colombia’s most famous artist, Fernando Botero, who was known for his voluptuous depictions of people and animals, has died aged 91, President Gustavo Petro announced Friday.
Botero’s works of plump and slightly surreal forms became enormously popular and were on display in museums and public spaces in cities around the world, including Bogota, Madrid, Paris, Singapore and Venice.
“Fernando Botero, the painter of our traditions and defects, the painter of our virtues, has died,” the president posted on social media.
Botero’s hometown, Medellin, declared a week of mourning, with Mayor Daniel Quintero saying his works on display in that city “will live forever.”
Local media hailed Botero as the greatest Colombian artist of all time, reporting his health had deteriorated in recent days as he suffered pneumonia.
Botero — who had been dubbed the “Picasso of…
