Milan pays homage to one of the contemporary artists most loved by the general public, a great Master of contemporaneity: Fernando Botero. Painter, sculptor and designer, Botero grew up in Colombia, a country rich in devotional images and religious practices deeply rooted in local culture and iconography. In particular, the artist dedicated a series of 27 oils and 33 works on paper to religious themes, which is today presented at the Parmenente Museum. In these canvases, in which drama makes its incursion, the colors and soft shapes typical of Botero's work bend to pain and tragedy. The ironic tone that usually permeates his works is replaced by that of pietas to lead the visitor to reflect on the poetry, drama and power represented in the Passion of Christ. The exhibition was presented in Medellín, Botero's hometown, during Easter Week 2012, to celebrate the artist's eightieth birthday. On that occasion the painter decided to donate the series to the Museum of Antioquia which today presents it for the first time posthumously following the very recent death of the Master.
