The presence of the horse in Botero’s oeuvre is as continuous as its depiction throughout art history, a figure that has been used since Antiquity to signify nobility, power, physical prowess and glory. From the equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on Capitoline Hill in Rome to Picasso’s screaming beast in ‘Guernica’ (1937), the horse has been the companion of man through the rise and fall of civilizations.

Historically, the horse has been a central theme in the history of art, for it has captured the attention of man for longer than recorded history itself. In fact, the beginning of equestrian depictions pre-date the written language; it is well known that early artists, in prehistoric times, represented the figure of the horse in cave paintings, cloths, and ceramic utensils. In Fernando Botero’s case, the theme of the horse has been a constant in his career, spanning over 65 years.