The Easel

3rd November 2026

‘A way of celebrating presence’: What Botero’s rotund remakes of classical masterpieces tell us about art history

Precious Adesina | bbc.com | 31st October 2026

Botero always pushed back at suggestions he painted “fat” people. He was, he explained, painting figures “with volume in mind”. Was this the influence of pre-Colombian art from his homeland that featured rounded forms, or simply an attraction to giving the ordinary a “monumental quality”. Either way, he celebrated voluptuous womanhood and rotund blokes in a non-sexualised, non-judgemental way. Adds one writer, Botero’s art is “unsettling as well as sensual … it forces us to think about life as well as art”.

27th October 2026

Salman Toor’s Men in the City

Sean Burns | Frieze | 30th September 2026

Toor’s first exhibition in London is attracting rave reviews that will only add to a soaring reputation. Pakistani-born, he mainly paints “narrative” portraits and group figure compositions that explore the struggle to achieve “a sense of belonging, both culturally and emotionally.” Painted in “velvety” oils, they clearly reference Old Master works, of which Toor is an avid student. Says one critic, “He can do everything. … one of the most sought-after painters of his generation.”

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