The artwork titled “Self-Portrait as Velasquez” was created by the artist Fernando Botero in 1986. This piece belongs to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement and is classified within the genre of self-portraiture.
The artwork depicts Fernando Botero himself, dressed in a historic costume reminiscent of the famed Spanish painter Diego Velázquez. Botero is shown engaging in the act of painting, with a palette in one hand and paintbrushes in the other. In the background, there is a seated nude female figure with her back to the viewer, positioned in front of a canvas set on an easel. The scene is set in a simple interior with minimal furnishings, including a chair on which a few pieces of fruit are placed. The characteristic style of Botero is immediately recognizable in the exaggeration of proportions and the voluptuous forms of the figures, giving the piece a distinctive and playful aesthetic.
