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拍品专文
Painted in 1977, Portrait of Nadine Haim, Fernando Botero’s signature aesthetic—marked by voluptuous forms and a sense of exaggerated proportion—captures both the physical presence and the psychological depth of his sitter. Painted with the artist’s characteristic mastery, the portrait exemplifies Botero’s lifelong fascination with volume, beauty, and the interplay between idealization and reality. The inclusion of printed paper collage elements within the oil painting further distinguishes this work, marking a rare departure from the artist’s more traditional techniques.
Since the 1950s, the artist has embarked on a unique approach to reality, distorting bodies and objects by giving them curvaceous and voluptuous shapes. For Portrait of Nadine Haim, he chooses to depict Nadine Haim, who is the sister of gallereist and art dealer Claude Bernard Haim, standing with a cluster of works hanging on the wall behind him, all of which are paintings already completed, each one corresponding to a specific genre Fernando Botero has addressed during the course of his career: the female nude, still life, the family portrait and grey tones.
Portrait of Nadine Haim pays homage to the tradition of Kunstkammer paintings, which showcased an individual’s collection with replicas of the artworks they owned displayed together. In the present work, Botero has used printed images of his own paintings, collaging the cut-outs onto the canvas. These juxtaposed reproductions are not reflective of the scale of their original counterparts, should they be hung together, which imbues the work with a surreal quality. Botero took the print copies from contemporary literature and exhibition catalogues featuring his works, some of which were reproduced in print in monochrome. Yet, some of these figures were finalised after the addition of the collage elements, as the peak of a hat, or a lock of hair, skirts onto the reproduced image. For the artist, whose recognisably voluptuous figures have always attracted attention, volume and depth were of incessant significance, and he sought to ‘create a language of plasticity that would be effective and that people would be touched by’ (Botero, quoted in an interview with I. Sischy, ‘An Interview with Fernando Botero’, Artforum, May 1985, p. 72). In Portrait of Nadine Haim, the artist’s inventive use of media not only acts as modernising take on an art historical tradition, but furthers his exploration of plasticity in his work. A vivid three-dimensionality is created by the dialogue between the glossy sheen of the collaged reproductions, and the rich, curving brushstrokes of the oil paint.
The portrait, Nadine Haim, emerges from a serene, neutral background—her figure rendered with the tender monumentality that defines Botero’s oeuvre. Her composed expression and elegantly coiffed hair suggest an inner world of quiet confidence, while the meticulous detailing of her attire conveys a sense of timeless sophistication. The subtle interplay of light and shadow accentuates the rounded contours of her face and hands, lending the work an almost sculptural quality.
Botero’s portrayal of Haim transcends mere likeness, inviting the viewer into a realm where beauty is redefined through the artist’s singular vision. The gentle exaggeration of form is not a caricature but rather a celebration of fullness, vitality, and the human condition. As with his finest portraits, the sitter’s gaze—calm, self-assured, and enigmatic—imbues the painting with an air of intimacy and quiet reverence.
Executed during a period when Botero’s international reputation was firmly established, Portrait of Nadine Haim stands as a testament to the artist’s ability to fuse technical virtuosity with profound psychological insight. The inclusion of printed paper collage elements adds a unique dimension, reinforcing the painting’s significance within Botero’s body of work. The painting is not only a tribute to its subject but also an enduring reflection of Botero’s belief in the power of art to transform reality into a world of heightened grace and beauty.
Since the 1950s, the artist has embarked on a unique approach to reality, distorting bodies and objects by giving them curvaceous and voluptuous shapes. For Portrait of Nadine Haim, he chooses to depict Nadine Haim, who is the sister of gallereist and art dealer Claude Bernard Haim, standing with a cluster of works hanging on the wall behind him, all of which are paintings already completed, each one corresponding to a specific genre Fernando Botero has addressed during the course of his career: the female nude, still life, the family portrait and grey tones.
Portrait of Nadine Haim pays homage to the tradition of Kunstkammer paintings, which showcased an individual’s collection with replicas of the artworks they owned displayed together. In the present work, Botero has used printed images of his own paintings, collaging the cut-outs onto the canvas. These juxtaposed reproductions are not reflective of the scale of their original counterparts, should they be hung together, which imbues the work with a surreal quality. Botero took the print copies from contemporary literature and exhibition catalogues featuring his works, some of which were reproduced in print in monochrome. Yet, some of these figures were finalised after the addition of the collage elements, as the peak of a hat, or a lock of hair, skirts onto the reproduced image. For the artist, whose recognisably voluptuous figures have always attracted attention, volume and depth were of incessant significance, and he sought to ‘create a language of plasticity that would be effective and that people would be touched by’ (Botero, quoted in an interview with I. Sischy, ‘An Interview with Fernando Botero’, Artforum, May 1985, p. 72). In Portrait of Nadine Haim, the artist’s inventive use of media not only acts as modernising take on an art historical tradition, but furthers his exploration of plasticity in his work. A vivid three-dimensionality is created by the dialogue between the glossy sheen of the collaged reproductions, and the rich, curving brushstrokes of the oil paint.
The portrait, Nadine Haim, emerges from a serene, neutral background—her figure rendered with the tender monumentality that defines Botero’s oeuvre. Her composed expression and elegantly coiffed hair suggest an inner world of quiet confidence, while the meticulous detailing of her attire conveys a sense of timeless sophistication. The subtle interplay of light and shadow accentuates the rounded contours of her face and hands, lending the work an almost sculptural quality.
Botero’s portrayal of Haim transcends mere likeness, inviting the viewer into a realm where beauty is redefined through the artist’s singular vision. The gentle exaggeration of form is not a caricature but rather a celebration of fullness, vitality, and the human condition. As with his finest portraits, the sitter’s gaze—calm, self-assured, and enigmatic—imbues the painting with an air of intimacy and quiet reverence.
Executed during a period when Botero’s international reputation was firmly established, Portrait of Nadine Haim stands as a testament to the artist’s ability to fuse technical virtuosity with profound psychological insight. The inclusion of printed paper collage elements adds a unique dimension, reinforcing the painting’s significance within Botero’s body of work. The painting is not only a tribute to its subject but also an enduring reflection of Botero’s belief in the power of art to transform reality into a world of heightened grace and beauty.