Painting the Pitiable Prisoners of Abu Ghraib

admin — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:26:00 +0000

Roberta Smith on Fernando Botero's "Abu Ghraib" paintings: "The new Boteros hold art and politics in balance, creating the needed buffer to help us face the unbearable and maintain some hope. They may also convey the gratuitous cruelty of these events to future generations.

Clay Waters

Roberta Smith reviews painter Fernando Botero's "Abu Ghraib" collection, on display in Manhattan.

"A selection of Fernando Botero's 'Abu Ghraib' paintings, which were shown in Europe last year, can now be seen through Saturday at the Marlborough Gallery in Manhattan. They may not be masterpieces, but that may not matter. They are among Mr. Botero's best work, and in an art world where responses to the Iraq war have been scarce - literal or obscure - they stand out."

FernandoBotero

Painting the Pitiable Prisoners of Abu Ghraib