{"product_id":"juan-rodriguez-conejo-by-fernando-botero","title":"Juan Rodriguez Conejo by Fernando Botero","description":"Fernando Botero\u003cbr\u003e 1932-2023 | Colombian \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eJuan Rodriguez \"Conejo\"\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Signed \"Botero 88\" (upper right)\u003cbr\u003e Oil on canvas \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exemplifying Fernando Botero's distinctive visual language and mastery of form, \u003cem\u003eJuan Rodriguez \"Conejo\"\u003c\/em\u003e captures the Colombian master's enduring fascination with bullfighting in this intimate and delightful composition. This work belongs to Botero's most celebrated and coveted bullfighting series, created at the height of his international acclaim when his volumetric style had achieved worldwide recognition. The painting presents a compelling study of character and tradition, rendered with the technical virtuosity that established Botero as one of Latin America's most internationally acclaimed artists. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Botero transforms the traditional matador portrait through his signature approach to proportion and form, presenting Rodriguez in his elaborate golden traje de luces against a rich landscape backdrop. The figure's robust presence fills the canvas, his voluminous form rendered with meticulous attention to surface textures and decorative details. Golden embroidery catches the light across the bullfighter's ceremonial costume, while his direct gaze creates an immediate connection with the viewer. The artist's masterful handling of flesh tones and fabric demonstrates his classical training, while the exaggerated proportions reveal his revolutionary approach to figuration. Behind the matador, an orange tree heavy with fruit, one of Botero's most beloved symbols, serves as a nod to Colombia's lush landscape. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Botero's artistic development reflects his unique position bridging Latin American and European traditions. Initially trained as a bullfighter before discovering his artistic calling, he brought intimate knowledge of this world to his canvases throughout his career. His classical education under Roberto Longhi, the distinguished Italian Renaissance scholar, combined with exposure to Mexican muralism during his formative years in Mexico City, created a distinctive synthesis of influences. This fusion of Western academic tradition with Latin American sensibilities positioned Botero as a singular voice in contemporary art, achieving unprecedented international recognition for a Latin American artist of his generation. His works entered the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, while an entire museum in Bogotá celebrates his contributions to contemporary art. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This portrait appears in the definitive catalogue raisonné by E.J. Sullivan and J.M. Tasset and has received extensive scholarly attention in four major monographs dedicated to Botero's bullfighting works. The composition was featured in a significant international touring exhibition that traveled across three continents, including prestigious venues in Venezuela, Mexico, Spain and France, culminating in the celebrated 1992 exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Painted 1988 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Canvas: 17 1\/4\" high x 15\" wide (43.82 x 38.1 cm)\u003cbr\u003e Frame: 25\" high x 22 1\/2\" wide x 2\" deep (63.5 x 57.15 x 5.08 cm) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Provenance:\u003cbr\u003e Galerie Hopkins, Paris\u003cbr\u003e Private collection\u003cbr\u003e M.S. Rau, New Orleans \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Exhibitions:\u003cbr\u003e Coro, Venezuela, Museo de Arte, January-February 1989\u003cbr\u003e Caracas, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, April 1989\u003cbr\u003e Mexico City, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Internacional Rufino Tamayo, Botero, La Corrida, May-August 1989, no. 37, p. 69 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e Sevilla, Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes, Botero, La Corrida, March-April 1992, p. 42 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e Paris, Grand Palais, Botero aux Champs Elysées, La Corrida au Grand Palais, November 1992, p. 25 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e Bogota, Banco de la República, Botero, La Corrida, February-March 1993, no. 20, p. 36 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e Paris, Galerie Hopkins-Thomas-Custot, Fernando Botero, Petits formats, March-July 2001, no. 4, p. 23 (illustrated in color) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Literature:\u003cbr\u003e J.M. Bonald, Botero, La Corrida, 1989, p. 92 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e J.M. Bonald, Botero, La Corrida, 1990, p. 92 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e J.M. Bonald, Botero, The Bullfight, 1990, p. 92 (illustrated in color)\u003cbr\u003e E.J. Sullivan \u0026amp; J.M. Tasset, Fernando Botero: Monograph \u0026amp; Catalogue Raisonné, Paintings, 1975-1990, 2000, no. 1988\/17, p. 432 (illustrated)","brand":"M.S. Rau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51803564376386,"sku":null,"price":698500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/5376\/6978\/files\/32-1101_1.png?v=1768102731","url":"https:\/\/www.bullvendors19.com\/de\/products\/juan-rodriguez-conejo-by-fernando-botero","provider":"Bull Vendors 19","version":"1.0","type":"link"}