Fernando Botero’s masterpieces from the Wynn Las Vegas Collection
A selection of Botero works will be offered during the Latin American Art sale on 25 and 26 May at Christie’s New York
Fernando Botero (B. 1932) Tiger and Trainer.signed and dated 'Botero 07' (lower left.)oil on canvas 48 1/4 x 73 1/4 in. (122.6 x 186 cm.)Painted in 2007.Estimate: $600,000 – $800,000.© Fernando Botero, reproduced by permission.
A highlight of Christie’s Latin American Art sale this season will be a selection of iconic works by Fernando Botero culled from the Wynn Las Vegas Collection. Included in this group are three paintings from the artist’s celebrated circus series as well as two exceptional sculptures that have captured the eyes of guests at the Wynn resorts in Las Vegas.
Inspired by a chance encounter with a modest traveling circus in Mexico, the paintings fully express Botero’s love of colour, volume and the human spirit. The series also allows Botero to connect with the long tradition of artists from Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to Alexander Calder who have depicted the theme of the circus.
Similarly with his sculptures of the Rape of Europa and the female nude, Botero engaged with and revised art historical precedents, transforming these traditional subjects into his singular vision.