Fernando Botero (b. 1932)

Marlborough Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York

Chicago, KN Gallery, Fernando Botero. Paintings, Pastels and Sculptures, November 2-December 29, 2007, p. 22, illustrated in color

Edward J. Sullivan, Jean-Marie Tasset, et. al., Botero. Monograph & Catalogue Raisonné, Paintings 1975-1990, Lausanne, 2000, p. 345, no. 30, illustrated

This work is in very good condition. The canvas is unlined. The paint layer is cleaned and very presentable as is. However, the work may have been rolled at some point. As a result of this method of storage or transportation, a series of small isolated losses had developed running vertically through the edge of the green wall next to the door on the far right side of the picture. There are about twenty of these isolated spots of paint loss overall that have been accurately restored. The work should be hung as is. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

"Botero’s women are not fat. They are space. They don’t have a sweet tooth. They are not stuffed with pastry. They are hungry for space. Much as our illusory pinup from Esquire magazine, they occupy the totality of the picture. The difference is that the blond beauty in Esquire, swinging over a white expanse with no illustrated distraction, was the very playful metaphor of movement. Swinging, she had fun. Botero’s women do not move. As our Latin grannies used to say, they stay put: sosegadas. And this is because, for Botero, painting is not movement. It is stillness." 

Carlos Fuentes in Botero: Women, Rizzoli Ed., New York, 2003, p. 8