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Auction Market Overview

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WORK IN PROGRESS

2025 Auction Highlights

Lots sold for more than USD 20,000

29 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 2,188,206. With 3 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 91%.

2025 Top 3 Lots

The highest price was achieved by an untitled drawing dated 1969, that sold at Christie’s in Paris on 24 October 2025 for EUR 241,300 (USD 280,320). 4 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 812,690, representing 37.1% of the total turnover for 2025.

2024 Auction Highlights

16 lots sold at auction in 2024 for a total turnover of USD 1,428,730. With 5 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 76%. The highest price was achieved at Sotheby’s in New-York on 14 May 2024, when Pedro with Monkey, a work on paper dated 1972 sold for USD 698,500.

2023 Auction Highlights

14 lots sold at auction in 2023 for a total turnover of USD 744,928. With 2 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 87.5%. The average price is 53,209. The highest price was achieved by a drawing executed in 2021, Men Drinking, that sold at Christie’s in New-York on 9 March 2023 for USD 88,200.

 

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2025 Auction Results

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Lots sold for more than USD 20,000

29 lots sold at auction in 2025 for a total turnover of USD 2,188,206. With 3 lots failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 91%.

2025 Top 3 Lots

The highest price was achieved by an untitled drawing dated 1969, that sold at Christie’s in Paris on 24 October 2025 for EUR 241,300 (USD 280,320). 4 lots sold for more than USD 100,000, generating a cumulative turnover of USD 812,690, representing 37.1% of the total turnover for 2025.

 

#1. Sans titre, 1969

Christie’s Paris: 24 October 2025
Estimated: EUR 150,000 – 250,000
EUR 241,300 / USD 280,320
WORK ON PAPER

Fernando Botero (1932-2023), Sans titre | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Sans titre, 1969
Pastel on cardboard
82.4 x 81.4 cm (32 1/2 x 32 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 69’ (lower right)

#2. Girl in Garden with Butterfly and Net, 1960

The Cindy and Jay Pritzker Collection
Sotheby’s New-York: 19 November 2025
Estimated: USD 70,000 – 90,000
USD 190,500
WORK ON PAPER

Girl in Garden with Butterfly and Net | Modern Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Girl in Garden with Butterfly and Net, 1960
Wax crayon on paper mounted on panel
59.4 x 79.7 cm (26 1/8 x 23 inches)
Incised Botero (lower left)
Incised DAB LOVE (lower right)

#3. Sans titre, 2009

Christie’s Paris: 27 May 2025
Estimated: EUR 120,000 – 180,000
EUR 151,200 / USD 172,200

Fernando Botero (1932-2023), Sans titre | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Sans titre, 2009
Watercolor, pastel and graphite on heavy paper
106 x 74.2 cm (41 3/4 x 29 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 09’ (lower left)

#4. Sans titre, 1985

Christie’s Paris: 24 October 2025
Estimated: EUR 100,000 – 150,000
EUR 146,050 / USD 169,670
WORK ON PAPER

Fernando Botero (1932-2023), Sans titre | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Sans titre, 1985
Watercolor, pastel and graphite on paper
111.2 x 98.8 cm (43 3/4 x 38 7/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 85’ (lower right)

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USD 100,000

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#5. Ballerina, 2007

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 November 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 95,250
WORK ON PAPER

Ballerina | Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Ballerina, 2007
Graphite and crayon on paper
49.5 x 33.7 cm (19 1/2 x 13 1/4  inches)
Signed and dated 07 (lower right)

#6. Monja, 1979

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 November 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 88,900
WORK ON PAPER

Monja | Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Monja, 1979
Graphite and crayon on paper
43.5 x 35.6 cm (17 1/8 x 14 inches)
Signed and dated 79 (lower right)

#7. Sitting Woman, 1997

Christie’s New-York: 20 November 2025
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 88,900
WORK ON PAPER

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Sitting Woman | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Sitting Woman, 1997
Watercolor and graphite on paper
35.9 x 47.6 cm (14 1/8 x 18 2/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 97’ (lower right)

#8. La lettera, 2006

Christie’s New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 88,200
WORK ON PAPER

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), La lettera | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
La lettera, 2006
Watercolor and graphite on paper
38.7 x 30.8 cm (15 1/4 x 12 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 06’ (lower right)

#9. Sans titre, 2007

Christie’s Paris: 11 April 2025
Estimated: EUR 40,000 – 60,000
EUR 69,300 / USD 78,015
WORK ON PAPER

Fernando Botero (1932-2023), Sans titre | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Sans titre, 2007
Graphite and pastel on paper
28.9 x 37.7 cm (11 3/8 x 14 7/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 07’ (lower left)

#10. Donna a Cavallo, 2006

Bonhams : FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023) Donna a Cavallo, 2006

#12. Le musicien et la femme allongée, 1983

#13. Mère et enfant, 1999

#15. The Trapeze Artists, 2007

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 November 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 57,150
WORK ON PAPER

The Trapeze Artists | Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
The Trapeze Artists, 2007
Graphite and crayon on paper
30.5 x 41.3 cm (12 x 16 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated 07 (lower left)

#16. Untitled, 1976

Sotheby’s New-York: 26 February 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 57,150
WORK ON PAPER

Untitled | Contemporary Curated | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Untitled, 1976
Graphite on paper
43.8 x 34.9 cm (17 1/4 x 13 3/4 inches)
Signed and dated 1976 (lower right)

#17. The Rooster, 1956

Christie’s New-York: 28 February 2025
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 56,700
WORK ON PAPER

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), The Rooster | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
The Rooster, 1956
Wax crayon, watercolor, graphite and paper collage on board
67.3 x 92.4 cm (26 1/2 x 36 3/8 inches)
Signed ‘Botero’ (lower right) and inscribed ‘A José y Agnes con la amistad de siempre’ (lower left)

#18. Bailaora

Sotheby’s Paris: 11 April 2025
Estimated: EUR 20,000 – 30,000
EUR 48,260 / USD 54,330
WORK ON PAPER

Bailaora | Art Moderne et Contemporain Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Bailaora
Graphite and chalk on paper
44×35 cm (17 3/8 x 13 3/4 inches)
Signed (lower right)

#19. Sans titre, 2007

Christie’s Paris: 27 May 2025
Estimated: EUR 40,000 – 60,000
EUR 44,100 / USD 50,225
WORK ON PAPER

Fernando Botero (1932-2023), Sans titre | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Sans titre, 2007
Graphite and pastel on paper
30×40 cm (11 3/4 x 15 3/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 07’ (lower left)

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USD 50,000

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#20. Man with Guitar, 2002

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 November 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 48,260
WORK ON PAPER

Man with Guitar | Contemporary Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Man with Guitar, 2002
Graphite on paper
41 x 31.8 cm (16 1/8 x 12 1/2 inches)
Signed and dated 02 (lower right)

#21. Nature morte, 2006

Christie’s online: 17 December 2025
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 44,450
WORK ON PAPER

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Nature morte | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Nature morte, 2006
Watercolor and graphite on paper
40.6 x 30.2 cm (16 x 11 7/8  inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 06’ (lower right)

#22. Cavallerizza, 2007

Doyle New-York: 20 November 2025
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 41,600
WORK ON PAPER

Lot 204 – Fernando Botero

FERNANDO BOTERO (Colombian, 1932-2023)
Cavallerizza, 2007
Watercolor and graphite on paper
41.3 x 31.1 cm (16 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches)
Signed Botero 07  lower right

#23. La Familia (The Family), 1989

Sotheby’s London: 5 March 2025
Estimated: GBP 8,000 – 12,000
GBP 30,480 / USD 38,980
WORK ON PAPER

La Familia (The Family) | Modern Day Auction | 2025 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
La Familia (The Family), 1989
Pencil and felt-tip pen on paper
40.7 x 32.4 cm (16 x 12 3/4 inches)
Signed Botero, dated 89 and dedicated a Mira Saesb – (upper left)

#24. Mona Lisa, 1961

Bogota Auctions: 20 November 2025
Estimated: COP 48,000,000 – 88,000,000
COP 110,000,000 (Hammer)
COP 132,000,000 / USD 35,705
WORK ON PAPER

Fernando Botero. Monalisa, 1961

FERNANDO BOTERO (Colombia, 1932 – 2023)
Mona Lisa, 1961
Crayon, pencil, pastel, oil on paper
33×24 cm (13 x 9 1/2 inches)
Dated and signed 5-6-61 Botero on the lower right

#25. Untitled (Standing Woman), 1972

Christie’s New-York: 6 March 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 35,280
WORK ON PAPER

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Untitled (Standing Woman) | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Untitled (Standing Woman), 1972
Graphite on paper
42.9 x 35.3 cm (16 7/8 x 13 7/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 72’ (lower right)

#26. Femme assise, 1981

Christie’s online: 17 December 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 33,020
WORK ON PAPER

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Femme assise | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Femme assise, 1981
Graphite and charcoal on paper
43.8 x 35.6 cm (17 1/4 x 14 inches)
Signed, dedicated and dated ‘A Joselyn Karpère Botero 81’ (lower right)

#27. Banderillas

Christie’s online: 17 December 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,480
WORK ON PAPER

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Banderillas | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Banderillas
Graphite on paper
28.3 x 40.6 cm (11 1/8 x 16 inches)
Signed and inscribed ‘Botero A Pedro y Sonia’ (lower right)

#28. Naturaleza Muerta con Uvas, 1979

Phillips New-York: 21 November 2025
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 28,380
WORK ON PAPER

Fernando Botero Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Morning Session

#29. Mujer recostada, 1965

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Lots Passed

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Sans titre, 2007

Christie’s Paris: 24 October 2025
Estimated: EUR 40,000 – 60,000
PASSED

Fernando Botero (1932-2023), Sans titre | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Sans titre, 2007
Graphite and pastel on Japan paper
37.7 x 30 cm (14 7/8 x 11 3/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 07’ (lower right)

 

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2024 Auction Results

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#1. Pedro with Monkey, 1972

Sotheby’s New-York: 14 May 2024
Estimated: USD 500,000 – 700,000
USD 698,500

Pedro with Monkey | Contemporary Day Auction | 2024 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Pedro with Monkey, 1972
Pastel on paper
156.8 x 117.2 cm (62 3/4 x 46 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated 72 (lower right)

#2. Woman in the Window, 2022

Christie’s New-York: 12 March 2024
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 81,900

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Woman in the Window | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Woman in the Window, 2022
Watercolor and graphite on paper
41.3 x 31.1 cm (16 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero, 22’ (lower right)

#3. Woman with Guitar, 1989

Christie’s New-York: 2 October 2024
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 81,900

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Woman with Guitar | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Woman with Guitar, 1989
Pencil, pastel and gouache on heavy paper
48 x 35.9 cm (18 7/8 x 14 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 89’ (lower right)

#4. Man with Dog, 2022

Christie’s New-York: 12 March 2024
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 75,600

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Man with Dog | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Man with Dog, 2022
Watercolor and graphite on paper
41.1 x 31.1 cm (16 1/8 x 12 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero, 22’ (lower right)

#5. Femme debout, 1990

Christie’s London: 9 October 2024
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 45,360 / USD 59,415

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Femme debout | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Femme debout, 1990
Watercolour and pencil on paper
50.3 x 35.8 cm (19 3/4 x 14 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 90’ (lower right)

#6. Violinist, 2021

Sotheby’s New-York: 1 March 2024
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 57,150

Violinist | Contemporary Curated | 2024 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Violinist, 2021
Pencil, watercolor and colored pencil on paper
41×31 cm (16 1/8 x 12 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated 21 (lower right); inscribed Gromberg (on the verso)

#5. Une femme acrobate, 2007

Christie’s Paris: 7 June 2024
Estimated: EUR 40,000 – 60,000
EUR 50,400 / USD 54,890

Fernando Botero (1932-2023), Une femme acrobate | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Une femme acrobate, 2007
Pencil and pastel on paper
39.5 x 29 cm (15 1/2 x 11 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 07’ (lower left)

#6. Madame Gres, 1981

Sotheby’s New-York: 1 March 2024
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 53,340

Madame Gres | My Friend, Fernando Botero: The Salomón & Rosita Lerner Collection | 2024 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Madame Gres, 1981
Charcoal and pastel on paper
43×36 cm (16 7/8 x 14 1/8 inches)
Signed Botero, dated 81 and dedicated A Salomón (lower right)

#7. Man on Horse, 1979

Christie’s online: 1 March 2024
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 47,880

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Man on Horse | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Man on Horse, 1979
Graphite on paper
41.6 x 35.2 cm (163/8 x  137/8  inches)
Signed, dated and inscribed ‘Botero, 79, A Normand Biron’ (lower right)

#8. Woman with Necklace and Aigrette, 2008

Christie’s Hong-Kong: 9 November 2024
Estimated: HKD 200,000 – 300,000
HKD 302,400 / USD 38,910

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Woman with Necklace and Aigrette | Christie’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Woman with Necklace and Aigrette, 2008
Colored crayon, pencil and estompe on paper
41.3 x 31.1 cm (16 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 08 (lower right)

#9. La pareja, 1988

Sotheby’s New-York: 27 September 2024
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 38,400

La pareja | Contemporary Curated | 2024 | Sotheby’s

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
La pareja, 1988
Charcoal, graphite and brush and ink on paper
50.8 x 35.9 cm (20 x 14 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated 88 (lower right)

#10. Seated Woman, 1985

Christie’s online: 15 March 2024
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 37,800

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/latin-american-art-online/fernando-botero-1932-2023-63/212009

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Seated Woman, 1985
Graphite on paper
41 x 30.9 cm (161/8 x 12 1/8 inches
Signed, dated and inscribed ‘Botero 85, a Nicolas y Aurora, 1989’ (lower right)

 

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2023 Auction Results

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#1. Men Drinking, 2021

Christie’s New-York: 9 March 2023
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 88,200

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932), Men Drinking | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Men Drinking, 2021
Watercolor and pencil on paper
30.8 x 40.6 cm (12 1/8 x 16 inches)
Signed ‘Botero 21’ (lower right)

#2. Nude, 1959

Christie’s New-York: 9 March 2023
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 88,200

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932), Nude | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Nude, 1959
Charcoal and pastel on craft paper laid on panel
132.7 x 99.7 cm (52 1/4 x 39 1/4 inches)
Signed, dated and inscribed ‘Botero, 22-6-59, after Gustaff’ (lower left)

#3. Painter and Model, 2004

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 May 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 69,850

Painter and Model | Contemporary Day Auction | 2023 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO
Painter and Model, 2004
watercolor, pastel and graphite on paper
36.2 x 51.1 cm (14 1/4 x 20 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated 04 (lower right)

#4. Man smoking, 2001

Dorotheum Vienna: 28 November 2023
Estimated: EUR 20,000 – 30,000
EUR 58,500 / USD 64,110

Fernando Botero * – Modern Art 2023/11/28 – Realized price: EUR 58,500 – Dorotheum

FERNANDO BOTERO (Medellin, Columbia 1932 – 2023 Monaco)
Man smoking, 2001
Graphite on paper
38×28 cm
Signed and dated

#5. Oranges, 1990

Christie’s New-York: 28 September 2023
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 63,000

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Oranges | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Oranges, 1990
Watercolor on paper
30.8 x 39.1 cm (12 1/8 x 15 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 90’ (lower right)

#6. Gymnast, 2007

Christie’s New-York: 28 September 2023
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 59,220

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), Gymnast | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
Gymnast, 2007
Graphite, pastel and sanguine on paper
41 x 30.8 cm (16 1/8 x 12 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 07’ (lower right)

#7. The Family, 1980

Christie’s New-York: 28 September 2023
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 60,000
USD 52,920

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023), The Family | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)
The Family, 1980
Bistre, brown ink and wash on paper
43.2 x 35.3 cm (17 x 13 7/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 80’ (lower right)

#8. Still Life, 2004

Christie’s online: 14 March 2023
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 50,400

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932), Still Life | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Still Life, 2004
Watercolor and pencil on paper
30.5 x 38.7 cm (12 x 15 1/4 inches)
Signed, dated and dedicated ‘Botero 04, A Florence’ (lower right)

#9. Nature morte au guéridon, 2006

Christie’s online: 14 March 2023
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 47,880

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932), Nature morte au guéridon | Christie’s (christies.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Nature morte au guéridon, 2006
Watercolor and pencil on paper
37.2 x 30.8 cm (14 5/8 x 12 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 06’ (lower right)

#10. Horse, 2004

Doyle New-York: 17 May 2023
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 40,000
USD 40,920

Lot 628 – Fernando Botero Colombian, b. 1932 Horse, (doyle.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (Colombian, b. 1932)
Horse, 2004
Watercolor, graphite, charcoal and pastel on paper
41.9 x 31.1 cm (16 1/2 x 12 1/4 inches)
Signed and dated Botero 04 (lr)

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2022 Auction Results

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12 lots sold at auction in 2022 for a total turnover of USD 1,212,798.

With no lot failing to sell, the sell-through rate is 100%. However two lots were withdrawn from Bonhams in New-York on 16 November 2022. The highest price has been achieved at Sotheby’s in New-York on 30 September 2022, when Tournesols, a work on paper dated 1969, sold for USD 504,000.

#1. Tournesols, 1969

Sotheby’s New-York: 30 September 2022
Estimated: USD 300,000 – 400,000
USD 504,000

Tournesols | Contemporary Curated | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO
Tournesols, 1969
Pastel on paper
143.8 x 117.7 cm (56 5/8 x 46 3/8 inches)
Signed Botero and dated 69 (lower right)

#2. Still Life with Blue Coffee Pot, 2013

Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 28 April 2022
Estimated: HKD 800,000 – 1,200,000
HKD 1,197,000 / USD 152,550

Fernando Botero 費南度・波特羅 | Still Life with Blue Coffee Pot 靜物與藍色咖啡壺 | Contemporary Day Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO
Still Life with Blue Coffee Pot, 2013
Watercolor on paper laid on board
82.2 x 92.1 cm (32 3/8 x 36 1/4 inches)

#3. Picador, 1986

Sotheby’s New-York: 30 September 2022
Estimated: USD 60,000 – 80,000
USD 94,500

Picador | Contemporary Curated | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Picador, 1986
Graphite on paper
46 x 60.6 cm (18 1/8 x 23 7/8 inches)
Signed Botero, dated 86 and dedicated à Jean Cau (lower right)

#4. Matador y toro, 1986

Sotheby’s New-York: 3 October 2022
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 69,300

https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/contemporary-discoveries-7/matador-y-toro

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Matador y toro, 1986
Sanguine on paper
61×46 cm (24 x 18 1/8 inches)
Signed Botero and dated 86 (lower right)

#5. Mujer, 1985

Sotheby’s New-York: 20 May 2022
Estimated: USD 35,000 – 45,000
USD 63,000

https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/contemporary-day-auction-2/mujer

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Mujer, 1985
Pencil on paper
50.8 x 35.9 cm (20 x 14 1/8 inches)
Signed Botero and dated 85 (lower right)

#6. Girasoles, 1957

Christie’s New-York: 11 March 2022
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 56,700

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6360667

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Girasoles, 1957
Watercolor on paper
72.4 x 54.3 cm (28 1/2 x 21 3/8 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero, 57’ (lower right)

#7. Europe and the Bull, 2006

Bonhams online: 17 November 2022
Estimated: GBP 25,000 – 35,000
GBP 44,400 / USD 52,899

Bonhams : FERNANDO BOTERO (B. 1932) Europe and the Bull 2006

FERNANDO BOTERO
Europe and the Bull, 2006
Conté crayon and graphite on paper
30.9 x 38.2 cm (12 3/16 x  15 1/16 inches)
Signed and dated 06

#8. Woman, 1987

Christie’s New-York: 30 September 2022
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 47,880

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6393186

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Woman, 1987
Graphite on paper
51×36 cm (20×14 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 87’ (lower right)

#9. Untitled, 1983

Christie’s New-York: 4 October 2022
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 47,880

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/latin-american-art-online/fernando-botero-b-1932-123/164271

FERNANDO BOTERO (b. 1932)
Untitled, 1983
Watercolor and pencil on paper
43.2 x 35.6 cm (17×14 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 83’ (lower right)

#10. Seated Woman, 1985

Christie’s New-York: 30 September 2022
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 44,100

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6393187

Fernando Botero (b. 1932)
Seated Woman, 1985
Graphite on paper
44×33 cm (17 3/8 x 13 inches)
Signed ‘Botero’ (lower right)

 

 

Untitled, 1976

Lempertz Cologne: 31 May 2025
Estimated: EUR 25,000 – 35,000
EUR 50,400 / USD 57,190

Untitled – Lot 505

FERNANDO BOTERO
Untitled, 1976
Pencil and gouache on paper on card
35.5 x 43.5 cm (14×17 inches)
Signed and dated ‘Botero 76’
Fixed to backing card. Minor traces of age

A thunderstorm erupts over Fernando Botero’s hometown of Medellín which is surrounded by mountains. The town is a recurring theme within his oeuvre. The paved road crosses the low and densely-packed rows of houses like a ravine. People seeking protection are rushing across the road while others are watching the spectacle from the windows of their houses. The scene appears threatening, but the supposed chaos reveals itself to be choreographed: the figures are arranged along the road in the zig-zag shape of lightning. The dark, stormy clouds located in the upper margin are counterbalanced by the dark color of the dress and the young woman’s flowing hair in the foreground. It seems as if the turbulent sky is reflected in what is happening on the street. The pathetic movements of the voluminous figures typical of Botero underline the scenic quality of the setting and illustrate the penchant for caricature-like storytelling. Beyond reality, flight becomes dance, and force of nature becomes theatre. The year 1976, in which this work was created, was an eventful year for Botero: A major retrospective was being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas, he received the Venezuelan Order of Andrés Bello and his watercolours and drawings were shown in the Claude Bernard gallery in Paris. The almost floating impression of the scene, which is expressed in gently modelled, blurred surfaces and softly drawn lines, is exemplary of Botero’s pencil drawings created in the mid-1970s.

Pedro with Monkey, 1972

Sotheby’s New-York: 14 May 2024
Estimated: USD 500,000 – 700,000
USD 698,500

Pedro with Monkey | Contemporary Day Auction | 2024 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO (1932 – 2023)
Pedro with Monkey, 1972
Pastel on paper
156.8 x 117.2 cm (62 3/4 x 46 1/8 inches)
Signed and dated 72 (lower right)

Tender and ethereal, Pedro with Monkey is an exquisite pastel of Fernando Botero’s son, depicted here at the age of two. Executed in 1972, two short years before a catastrophic car accident that led to Pedro’s untimely and devastating death, the present work is a seminal example of Botero’s pivotal portraiture completed between 1970-1974 featuring his beloved son and muse. Pedrito (as he was affectionately known) is rendered here with boyish charm, sporting red overalls and a white collared shirt. He looks out to us sweetly from behind a toy monkey, which he hugs tightly to his chest. There are toys scattered around the boy’s white tennis-shoed feet indicating his preference for the monkey, which is known to have been his favorite. Thick as thieves, the monkey raises his left arm as though taking responsibility for the chaos, while Pedro, with his angelic disposition, tenderly embraces his accomplice; the duo is caught in the act of playtime havoc.

Imposing in scale, and rendered in Botero’s signature style of volumetric figuration, here bright hues of scarlet and white are set against a black background; they dominate the foreground of the picture and underscore Pedrito’s importance and centrality within it. Rare within Botero’s oeuvre, the present work stands out for his earnest and detailed treatment of Pedrito’s face, which he imbues with a superlative element of realism. A prolonged gaze at the young boy’s cherubic face reveals the accentuation of two lines at either side of his mouth, and protruding rosy cheeks, as though at any given moment, “the solemn-faced comedian,” will break character with a burst of laughter. (Germán Arciniegas, Fernando Botero, New York, 1977, p. 48)

Botero has long demonstrated a passion for the Masters of the Western canon, revisiting and re-articulating masterworks through a technically rigorous and uniquely personal approach in his own work. Pedro with Monkey is no exception having much in common with Goya’s Red Boy (officially titled: Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zúñiga (1784–1792)) (see Fig. 1). Notably, both Pedrito (age 2) and Manuel (age 3-4) are about the same age at the time each portrait was executed and they are both depicted in red outfits, though Pedrito’s receives a period-appropriate update. There is a soft sheen to Manuel’s satin cummerbund and matching small white shoes, which Botero deftly adds to Pedrito’s silky brown hair and echoes in the careful highlighting of the collar of his creased white shirt and more contemporary footwear. Like Manuel, Pedrito faces the viewer, but where by Manuel’s feet there is a menagerie of curious animals, by Pedrito’s there are three wooden toys, and critically one monkey, viscerally realistic, that he holds in his two little arms. A testament to the wealth and power of his family, Manuel is depicted with the extravagant trappings of great privilege – as Goya is exceedingly known to do in nearly all period portraits of his royal patrons’ offspring. Botero thoughtfully replaces these baubles and exotic pets with humble wooden toys save for one animal, albeit also toy, in a gesture that ennobles his sweet son and asserts his place in the Western canon alongside little Manuel.

LEFT: THE PRESENT WORK; RIGHT: FIG. 1. GOYA (FRANCISCO DE GOYA Y LUCIENTES), MANUEL OSORIO MANRIQUE DE ZUÑIGA (1784–1792), 1787–88, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK

The dialogue between these works can be seen to continue through Botero’s treatment of light and shadow. Incandescent Pedro benefits from generous and ample light, whereas Goya’s Manuel seems to linger in the liminal space between shadowy background and meagerly lit middle ground, sparse slivers of soft light grazing just his face, feet and the upper of his small body. Botero rejects Goya’s gloomy background with gusto in favor of one that is noticeably more dramatic and black. He achieves this through deft use of chiaroscuro that he modulates with sfumato, softening his transition from light to dark as evidenced in the blended edges of Pedrito’s form. In doing so, Botero summons Vermeer and his masterful use of these canonical modes in works like Girl with a Pearl Earring (see Fig. 2); he further emphasizes Pedro’s significance within the portrait and simultaneously endows it with a sense of depth. With these brazen acts of defiance, Botero’s technical prowess is on full display. Successfully evoking Red Boy, the best of Goya’s portraiture of royal youth, Botero re-envision elements of the seminal composition with virtuoso in pastel.

Unbeknownst to Botero in 1972 when Pedro with Monkey was completed, is that these two works, and their boys dressed in red, would soon come to have a profound commonality of unmediated salience that transcends the parameters of time and place. Like Manuel, who died four years after Goya finished his painting, Pedrito would not survive this portrait by much time, passing just two years later.

1971 BOTERO FAMILY CHRISTMAS CARD

A further testament to this work’s importance, it has remained with the Aberbach family since it was gifted it to Julian J. Aberbach in 1972 by Botero. Best known as Elvis Presley’s music publisher, Julian and his wife Anne Marie amassed a remarkable collection of modern art, including works by European and Latin American masters. As the founder of music publisher Hill and Range, Julian and his brother Jean catapulted the careers of such esteemed musical icons as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Edith Piaf. The son of a successful jeweler in Vienna, Julian spent time in Europe during the 1930s, where he became familiar with the international contemporary art scene and would come to meet his wife Anne Marie after the war on one of his many visits. Beginning in the 1950s, Julian and Anne Marie began collecting art, often acquiring works directly from artists or galleries during their trips to Europe. Fernando Botero was one such artist and also among those who would become friends with Julian and Anne Marie. Botero’s gifting of the present work to Julian speaks its quality and the nature of their friendship. The fact that this work remained in Julian’s collection and with the Aberbach family since 1972 is evidence of the esteem in which this portrait has been held by its previous owners.

From the day he was born on January 19, 1970, Pedro Botero could not have met more loving parents than Fernando Botero and Cecilia Zambrano, whose 1971 Christmas card notably featured a reproduction of a pastel by Botero where Pedrito is depicted on horseback. The apple of his father’s eye, Pedrito entered Botero’s life at a critical moment when, as Germán Arciniegas puts it, “everything was so perfect” (Ibid., p. 47). And in most ways, everything was so perfect; in the years leading up to Pedrito’s birth Botero experienced joyous personal milestones, including his marriage to his second wife, Cecilia in 1964, and an unprecedented level of international recognition and commercial success. By 1970, the artist had sold a painting to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, held exhibitions throughout the Americas and Europe, and been the subject of a successful monograph; by 1972, he divided his time between Paris, New York and Medellín. A beacon of light and bursting with life, Pedro Botero is immortalized in portrait — Pedro with Monkey being a triumphant example among those Botero completed during the euphoric period that constituted Pedrito’s lifetime, as well as the ones executed in his loving memory in the wake of his anguishing death. Pedrito’s likeness bears witness to the profound joy he embodied and inspired in the lives of those lucky enough to have known him, and for those of us, among the less fortunate, a monumental and radiant reminder.

Tournesols, 1969

Sotheby’s New-York: 30 September 2022
Estimated: USD 300,000 – 400,000
USD 504,000

Tournesols | Contemporary Curated | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)

FERNANDO BOTERO
Tournesols, 1969
Pastel on paper
143.8 x 117.7 cm (56 5/8 x 46 3/8 inches)
Signed Botero and dated 69 (lower right)

Born to humble beginnings in the countryside near Medellín, Colombia in 1932, Fernando Botero’s artistic ambition (and a scholarship) took him to the prestigious Academia San Fernando in Madrid in 1952. A devout student of art history, Botero spent ample time in Europe studying the masters from the Western canon, from Francisco de Goya to Piero della Francesca. Among the most critical of these to Botero’s development were painters of the Dutch Golden Age, in particular artists like Jan Davidsz. de Heem and Ambrosius Bosschaert – whose work instilled in him a love of the still-life genre that has persisted throughout his oeuvre. In Dutch Golden Age painting, the relatively nascent genre of still life offered artists an avenue to demonstrate their technical mastery through the rendering of exquisitely fine detail. Beyond the surface, artists like de Heem employed the symbolic language of flowers in these works, carefully selecting rare, beautiful flowers that bloom at different times of year to celebrate the fullness and diversity of Divine creation. In depicting these flowers in full bloom on the edge of decay, these artists ultimately presented lasting mementi mori, meditations on the fragility of life on earth and the inevitability of death.

VINCENT VAN GOGH, VASE WITH TWELVE SUNFLOWERS, OIL ON CANVAS, 91.0 X 72.0 CM., 1888, NEUE PINAKOTHEK, MUNICH

Two centuries later, Post-Impressionist artists like Vincent van Gogh confronted the same subject matter with an innovative approach that emphasized experimentation in color and texture. In a series of eleven works that are now among his most beloved, Van Gogh revisited the deceptively simple image of sunflowers in a vase, offering a poetic meditation on their ephemeral beauty. Inserting himself into this canonical tradition, Botero presents a sunny bouquet of sunflowers that borrow from both earlier vocabularies yet present a fully contemporary innovation; inflated, vivid and luscious. With their characteristically sunny palette, playfully volumetric forms and brimming vivacity, Botero’s Tournesols offer a version of the iconic image that is purely his own.

Successful exhibitions in Bogotá, Mexico City and eventually Washington, D.C. led Botero to settle briefly in New York beginning in late 1959, where he remained until 1973. During this critical period he began to achieve notable successes both commercial and curatorial; by the early 1960s such as the acquisition of Mona Lisa, Age Twelve (1959) by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A self-proclaimed “post-abstract realist,” tenaciously concerned with the importance of the figure, Botero was not interested in conforming to the popular taste for Abstract Expressionism- which made him a target of critics. His unwavering inclination for figuration, fascination with the historic impact of images and proclivity for sly humor and innuendo ultimately served as a point of connection with the burgeoning Pop movement. Although Botero did not conform to either school, his artistic production from this New York period demonstrates the artist’s engagement with both camps. Marked by a careful experimentation with the gestural aspects of Abstract Expressionism as well as philosophical alignment with the radically opposing wink and nod principles of Pop Art, the artist’s production of this period (of which Tournesols is a key example) can be understood from this perspective.

Executed in 1969, Tournesols stands out as a triumph of Botero’s early work. Through volumetric distortion and precise execution, Botero confronts the viewer with a new vision for still-life painting – retaining the dimensionality and fragile beauty of the Dutch tradition, dialoguing with Van Gogh’s radical use of color, yet asserting a new, unique plastic vocabulary. Rendered in velvety strokes of mustard, rose and olive in the vibrational, painterly style that characterizes Botero’s best output of the 1960s, with Tournesols Botero fiercely asserts his presence in the canon of art history.