The artwork titled “Menina (After Velazquez)” is a portrait created by Fernando Botero, an artist associated with the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement. True to Botero’s distinctive style, the artwork demonstrates exaggerated volume and an iconic rendering of form.
The portrait showcases a young girl with voluminous blonde hair adorned with a flower on the side. Her plump, rounded features typify Botero’s artistic approach, which magnifies the subject’s forms to achieve a humorous and whimsical effect. The girl is attired in a classical dress with prominent ruffles and a large, central red flower adorning her chest. Her hands, slightly outstretched, hold small objects, possibly emblematic or playful in nature. The dark, understated background ensures that the focus remains entirely on the subject, evoking a sense of timelessness and introspection. Despite its playful proportions, the painting exudes a sense of regal calm, echoing the stateliness of Velazquez’s originals while transforming them through Botero’s unique lens.
