A 1949 watercolour by Colombian artist Fernando Botero is being auctioned in Bogota after once being traded for two packs of cigarettes [1].
The sale highlights the dramatic trajectory of Botero's career, moving from a struggling young artist to one of the most recognized figures in global art. The piece, titled "La Plegaria," represents the earliest stages of his creative output and the modest beginnings of his professional life.
Botero created the work in 1949 [1]. According to reports, the artist once exchanged the piece for two packs of cigarettes [1], a transaction that has since become a noted anecdote in the history of his career. The watercolour is now surfacing in the art market as a rare example of his early period.
The piece is appearing as part of a broader auction in Bogota, Colombia. This specific sale includes more than 120 Latin American works [1]. The collection offers a wide range of regional art, but the Botero piece serves as a primary draw due to its historical provenance and the story of its original trade.
Botero is world-renowned for his signature style, characterized by the depiction of people and animals in exaggerated, voluminous proportions. While "La Plegaria" predates the full development of this "Boterismo" style, it remains a significant artifact of his development as a painter.
The auction aims to bring these regional works to a wider audience of collectors. By including a piece with such a specific and humble origin story, the event emphasizes the contrast between the intrinsic value of art and its fluctuating market price over several decades.
“Botero once traded the piece for two packs of cigarettes”
The auction of 'La Plegaria' underscores the speculative nature of the art market and the role of provenance in driving value. The shift from a currency of basic consumer goods to a high-value auction item illustrates how an artist's posthumous or late-career reputation can retroactively inflate the worth of their earliest, most experimental works.
