Fernando Botero presents his modern version of the "Santas" (“Holy”)

Throughout history, iconic representation of characters of Christianity was one of the favorite themes for artists.However, in recent centuries this trend has been forgotten.

For this reason, the Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero decided to translate to the "santas de santas" ("holy of holy") in a modern reinterpretation in which they are exhibited, in his unique style, as worldly women of current society.

In the exhibition "Santas” ("Holy"), opened from June 15 to July 31 at the Gmurzynska Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland, Botero presents 10 large format "with a touch of irony"  of some of the Christian martyrs. He includes Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, St. Gertrudis, Santa Justa, Santa Ursula, Santa Isabel, among others.

"Taking notes of the history of art, I found the theme of the holy had disappeared of painting from the French Revolution, after been a favorite topic between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. I founded attractive by the fact that this issue had not been addressed in centuries, "Botero said on Wednesday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his studio in Pietrasanta, Italy.

He said that despite such holy women must have been very humble, poor and mostly without any vanity, he found that through history artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Jan van Eyck and El Greco  portrayed them as "princesses" in order to honor them.

"I wanted to do the same, show the holy that had not been portrayed in centuries in the spirit of the ancient painting, presenting them in a very elegant way, very well dressed, but obviously inspired the way women dress today,” the artist explained.

Thus, he studied each of the holy, their history and martyrdom to make his own version of them.

Santa Barbara, for example, one of the most venerated saints of the Church, is shown with a naked and lacerated breast and with a Bible in her hand as representation of suffered flogging as punishment for her unwavering faith.

"Every saint has a story and martyrdom. When is displayed in a painting with a palm in her hand means that she was tortured, if she has a flower means she died virgin and if she appears with a sword means she was a warrior, "the eighty three year old artist said." Everything corresponds to some truth, of course, while using a lot imagination and freedom ".

Moreover, Botero said the technique used in the series, which he made in 2014 and in which he worked for eight months as he was especially careful with shapes, textures and use color.

He said that in his paintings can be seen dressed very stylish, with great design and lots of color, because in the gray world of today there are only three professions in which color is used with certain audacity: bull bulls, circus and haute couture.

"A painter must seize that there is freedom in these three subjects to use color in a logical and freely way. So I dressed the holy as if they were dressed in haute couture, "the artist said, who  also confessed himself aware that some people will think it is” disrespectful  having made this representation of the 'Holy', which may not seem very virtuous".

Besides the "Santas", the Antioquia artist prepares an exhibition of his exhibit "Boterosutra" (2013) which opens on Saturday in France, along with a retrospective at the National Museum in Seoul will begin in July 10 and an exhibition of more than 50 sculptures at the Spoleto Festival, in Italy.

"This profession is long and I had always this recognition, because at the beginning was very difficult. But when the time comes and one is invited to large exhibitions or does retrospectives, one appreciates it, "he said referring to the success accomplished and the fact of being recognized as one of the most outstanding Latin American artists at present.
 

Source: AP