Visual Analysis: A Family By Fernando Botero

Beyond the typical family. Visual Analysis # 1
Artist: Fernando Botero Title: A Family Date: 1989
Technique: Oil on canvas
Museum: Museum of fine arts

The work A Family of Fernando Botero has several physical elements to mention (in relation to art, color, size etc.) My first reaction was of concern, because the truth is that I chose this work because the paintings of Fernando Botero have always caught my attention. However, this time, I was faced with a simple little painting describable in terms of narrative. I saw a family, possibly wealthy, ordinary, and nothing flashy or special in it. I seriously considered changing work, but after a few minutes in front of the painting, I began to see and understand that precisely
this simplicity and this "common" aspect of this exposed family, is precisely the essence and purpose or objective painting as such. To more clearly understand what aforementioned, it is necessary to know, even in general terms, the style of Botero; Stylish and I am not referring only to the techniques used, but which seeks to convey through his works. To determine the style and broadly describe this influential Colombian artist, we will be guided by the textual description that raises the Museum of Fine Arts.
Fernando Botero is a Colombian painter considered the most important in recent times. His childhood was marked by the death of his father as a child. The interest in drawing, his passion for bullfighting, in which dabbled unsuccessfully in his youth, are the point of inspiration for his work, which he developed various searches and assimilated multiple influences. Botero slowly invented a personal aesthetic founded on a passion for volumes. His style of painting, figurative and realistic, describes a real world that is going to be colored by personal experiences impregnated fantasy. In his works together pre-Columbian roots, the Renaissance tradition and poetry of those memories that are in memory frozen in time in the 40s in Colombia, Medellin specifically when he was young. He seeks, through his works, transmitting culture and tradition of his environment; environment that marked him as a child, and this precisely reflects his work, A Family, the typical portrait of a family of the time (1980-1990, in Colombia), in all its glory. Looking at the location of each member of this family in the work, this painting is a faithful exponent of the hierarchy or the position of the members of a family within it. The father, serious man in a suit and tie, indicating a job and a way of a good level of education. He is standing like his son, a well-dressed young man who grabs his hand. The mother, however, dressed more casually, gives the impression of being a housewife and is sitting next to them on a couch, holding her daughter. With the mother, is on the floor a dog apparently fine dress? This is in general terms, what is observed with the naked eye.

However, illustration of a typical family of the time, goes beyond dress (formal vs. informal) using the father and mother; reflecting the inclination he had at the time because the man was who work and women stay at home doing housework and care for the children. The fact that the two men are standing, and the two women are sitting, reflects the hierarchical level in the family of the time, where usually the man had more power and was somewhat more important for women in the family. Also worth, contrasting the fact that the mother is the burden on the child, while the father is the one who accompanies the child, this shows the position of women as housewives which should take care of the children and in this case, charge the baby, and on the other hand, shows that the parent-child bond and meanwhile mother-daughter, were highly visible and distinguishable. We must also consider the propensity had at the time that the woman was, in itself, synonymous with love and support within the family, while the father was synonymous with respect, more rigid and dry, although accompanied and supported his family.
This is evident when we note that the mother lovingly holding her daughter. The caresses with his hand. The father, however, holds the hand of her son, but no obvious sign of affection. The above is what conveys the work: overview that was at the time about what was seen as an ideal family. Where man had more power than women in the family. Where was the man who worked and the woman who took care of the housework? Where the woman was transmitting affection and love, while the father conveyed respect and
seriousness?

On the other hand, and now analyzing paint in physical terms, we find that this painting, like all of Botero, is characterized by rounded or inflated to give the characters a robust look forms, but that does not stop to look natural. The brushwork of the work in question is quite soft and delicate, slightly visible. The technique used is, as mentioned before, oil on canvas. It is worth noting that the painting lacks shadows and effects and the only abstraction in it, is the tendency to "fatten" the characters. All details are well defined; from breaks in the clothes of the characters facial features and hair, to breaks and details of the chair you are sitting women. However, the sizes of certain elements or physical aspects of the characters are not proportional to reality; as his eyes, his nose, his mouth (these so small), and legs of women (these at large).

The colors used for this painting are generally quite clear and harmonious; Botero uses colors that reflect light and are not opaque, and this is positive for painting, considering that this is a family portrait to be displayed precisely harmonious peaceful and happy.
On the other hand, it is worth, contrasting the aforementioned evidence, regarding details on the characters, with the lack of details about the environment which are these: background trees, sky, apples etc. And having mentioned apples, is curious, their presence, considering that the painting you are looking reflect the portrait of a family in the countryside, and no sense that while a picture is taken in the field, have apples falling trees planted in these quantities. The size of the painting is quite large, about the size of a wall. This makes this work, a work quite striking in the eyes of the beholder, by its sheer size, the imposing presence of the characters that fill almost the entire space in the work, plus the lighting of the Museum gives placing it just above a light, so that makes it look somehow as the centerpiece of the
room.

This painting of Fernando Botero maintains the characteristic style of Botero's works; not only for its art, but also because he wants to show something typical of his environment. If you are looking for here is mocking the ideal family of the time through his painting, criticize, praise or simply characterize it, we cannot know, because the paint is simply limited to portraying this family; it seems that you are looking for the painter is that each viewer to draw their own conclusions. This work is very pleasing and demonstrates the clear emphasis Botero wants to do with the family, to paint in such so that they occupy virtually the entire space. Worth contextualize this painting in this "modern" era: where women looking increasingly occupy a place on par with men. Where in the family, men and women begin to have the same influence. Where the woman has positioned beside the man, face to face, as equals. And having contextualized painting thus must be considered, as once typical with the passage of time suddenly so atypical.