Colombian; 1932-2023
Dog, 1981.
Material: Bronze
Measurements: 27” x 16” x 25”
Location: Angelos Law Center, 1401 N. Charles St.
Courtyard - Floor .5
While better known for his paintings, Botero sustained a robust sculpture practice. In 1976 he dedicated himself more fully to the medium, consistently producing several sculptures per year. In 1983, the artist bought a home in Italy in Pietrasanta, a small city close to Carrara, which is famous for its marble quarries and popular with artists for the local workers’ technical knowledge of carving and casting. Botero spent several months there every year, maintaining a studio and working primarily with Fonderia Artistica Mariani. The medium allowed him to experiment with his signature voluminous style in three dimensions.
"Dog" is from an edition of six bronzes and serves as a unique representation compared to Botero’s future iterations of the animal. The sculpture keeps intact Botero’s exaggerated volume and bulbous features, which, given the small scale and subject matter, lend an air of humor and playfulness. However, some 20 years before he began sculpting, Botero spent time in Mexico and was inspired by the art of various pre-Columbian civilizations. The bared teeth, raised ears and alert stance of "Dog" are reminiscent of those found on ancient canine figures from Western Mexico in the state of Colima. These small terracotta dogs were often placed in tombs to accompany and guard the soul of the deceased in the afterlife, or to provide a source of food for them on their arduous journey through the underworld. Most of these dogs were depicted as plump and well-fed, reflecting their many important roles in the daily lives of the ancient people of Colima not just as sustenance, but much-loved companions and spiritual guides. Botero’s ample, inflated proportions are well-suited to these animals.