Bogota- To reach the museum of the Artist Fernando Botero in Bogota, people have to walk in the historical heart of the city, which is considered the most beautiful part of the Columbian capital.

The area is characterized with massive buildings and narrow streets, which reflect an architectural style inspired from the colonial phase, when the country was under the control of Spain and gained a special significance for its richness in gold.

Botero’s museum is located at an old buildings belonging to the colonial phase back to 1724. The building is composed of two floors, includes huge rooms and internal gardens with trees and fountains. Since 2000, the walls of the building included valuable fortune, which is Botero’s paintings; Botero is considered one of the greatest Colombian painters who dedicated the majority of his work and some of his most valuable possessions of gold to his motherland.

The museum takes its visitors on an amazing tour through experiences Botero lived, the history of his country, and some of the paintings he possesses for renowned artists like Picasso Dali. The museum includes 208 artistic works – 123 of them drawn by Botero himself and 85 others that belong to other artists. This great collection made the museum one of the best in the South American Continent.

Botero has been known with his preferences to draw gigantic volumes of people, animals, and others. The museum offers the perfect chance to understand the complicated works of Botero, who drew special creatures which added a distinguished touch on its paintings and sculptures.

His works include a new version of Mona Liza, which he drew in 1977; this painting has been considered the most popular masterpiece in the museum, as it resembles Da Vinci’s Mona Liza but with more colors and greater volumes. However, it is worth noting that in this painting, Botero insisted on maintaining Da Vinci’s same background.

Remarkably, Botero’s workpieces reflect the Latin identity through the power of colors.

Botero was born in Medellín, Columbia in 1932, and has been considered among the continent’s best artists.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Sigrid Castaneda, head of the special artistic collection of the Bank of the Republic said that many have sought to underestimate the importance of Botero’s works, considering they just feature fat bodies; however, she noted that the masterpieces of the Colombian artists depend on important research of renowned painters and many concepts linked to the classic beauty of art.

Botero donated a big number of paintings to the Bank of the Republic; yet, he requested the bank to offer people the museum’s entry for free and to maintain all the paintings of the collection. The museum annually receives more than 400,000 local and foreign visitors.

It is worth noting that Botero also donated many of his works to the museum located in his home town in 2002.