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Description

[FERNANDO BOTERO]

Commemorative medal for the "Fernando Botero aux Champs-Élysées" exhibition in 1992, struck by the Monnaie de Paris Medal in 18k (750) gold, bearing the Corne d'abondance hallmark of the Monnaie de Paris on one side and the fleurette hallmark of the Atelier de Gravure des Monnaies et Médailles on the other, numbered I/III and bearing the Corne d'abondance hallmark on the edge. Poids - Weight : 1,7 kg9.5 x 3 cm - 3 47/64 x 11 1/64 in. Medal of Gold 18k (750), bearing on a face the stamp Corne d'abondance by the Monnaie de Paris and the stamp of the Atelier de Gravure des Monnaies et Médailles, numbered I/III and bearing the stamp Corne d'abondance on the edge With a certificate of authenticity from the Monnaie de Paris numbered I/III, an explanatory leaflet and its original case. It is impossible to dissociate contemporary art from the figure of Fernando Botero, so remarkable has been his influence on our culture. his influence on our culture. Today, his works are omnipresent, not only on the streets and in large interiors, but also in popular culture and on social networks. The artist's death in 2023 brought to a close an exceptionally prolific and varied career, whose sometimes misunderstood avant-gardism is still far from a public consensus. Sometimes parodied, sometimes adored, his work leaves no one indifferent, and is still talked about today. Fernando Botero was born in Medellin, Colombia, in 1932. Raised by his mother and uncle in the tradition of Colombian culture, he trained at the bullfighting school before quickly abandoning the red cape and tercio de piques for the pencil. Inspired by pre-Columbian and Spanish art, Botero decided to embark on a career as an artist. Eager for adventure, the artist left for the capital Bogota. There, he held his first exhibition and sold his first canvases, with the money from which he flew to Europe in 1952. An initiatory journey followed: Botero studied the Spanish masters at the Prado and discovered the Old Masters at the Louvre, before learning the art of fresco in Florence. He exhibited in New York, collaborated with Vogue Paris to illustrate haute couture collections, then moved to Pietrasanta in Italy before finally settling in Paris in 1973. He then began to work on sculpture in addition to his pictorial work. In 1992, a major exhibition of his sculptural work was held on the Champs-Élysées. More than 30 sculptures were on view from October 22, 1992 to January 30, 1993 on the avenue, and some 100 paintings at the Grand Palais. Among these works were a number of celebrities, including a giant torso over 4 meters high, cyclopean in scale, in the image of his extraordinary production. Inspired by pre-Columbian art, prehistoric Venus and the Italian Renaissance, these callipygous figures carry an immense cultural baggage, heirs to an iconographic tradition as old as humanity itself. This exceptional ensemble was intended to mark the artist's return to the limelight after several years' absence. To mark the occasion, the artist, in collaboration with La Monnaie de Paris, commissioned the minting of 703 copies of this medal: 500 in bronze, 200 in solid silver, and finally 3 in gold. This solid 18-carat gold medal is numbered I/III on the edge, where it also bears the cornucopia, the Monnaie de Paris hallmark guaranteeing its provenance and authenticity. This extremely rare object is signed on the side bearing the artist's self-portrait, while the other side depicts one of Botero's most famous works, proudly displayed in front of the Arc de Triomphe. With its exceptional relief for this type of production, it took five consecutive strikes under a 2,500-ton press at La Monnaie de Paris to achieve such a contrasting result. Testifying to Botero's artistic consecration, this medal marks an unprecedented event in the career of one of the century's most celebrated personalities. Inspired by mythical representations, he ultimately became a symbol himself, and his visionary aesthetic continues to overturn preconceived ideas. It is impossible to dissociate contemporary art from the figure of Fernando Botero, such has been his influence on our culture. His influence on our culture has been so remarkable, today, his works are ubiquitous, as much in the streets and large as they are in popular culture and on social networks. The artist's death in 2023 brought to a close an exceptionally prolific and varied career, whose

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[FERNANDO BOTERO]

Estimate 60 000 - 80 000 EUR

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For sale on Thursday 04 Jul : 15:00 (CEST)
neuilly-sur-seine, France
Aguttes
+33147455555
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