“Estudio de Iglesia San Jose”, produced during Angel Botello’s stay in Puerto Rico, exhibits the artist's interest in and attention to Puerto Rican culture. In both the subject matter and color palette, this work is exemplary of the style that Botello pursued and experimented with in the later years of his life. This oil painting depicts characteristic Puerto Rican architecture through means that give the static, geometric building a sense of vitality and warmth. “Estudio de Iglesia San Jose” remains true to Botello's artistic concerns in both its rendering and its focus on a subject that would eventually constitute his signature style.

Postmodern Spanish-Puerto Rican artist Angel Botello (1913-1986) worked in a multitude of media, creating works that all retain a Gauguin-esque style in both vibrancy and bravado. Many of Botello’s sources of inspiration can be attributed to his own surroundings, specifically his adolescent years spent in Spain, his time in the Caribbean, and his experiences as a father. Botello attended the School of Art of the San Fernando Academy in Madrid, Spain (1935), where he followed a post-impressionistic avenue that contrasted his more stringent academic education. With the onset of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Botello was compelled to leave the Academy prior to completing his studies and took up residence in the Dominican Republic in 1936. Several years later in 1944, his relocation to Haiti provided a new source of inspiration and resulted in what are now considered some of Botello’s most supreme works. However, in terms of quality, quantity, and diversity of media, Botello’s most prolific achievements occurred during his final years in Puerto Rico, from 1953 to 1986, the end of his life. Botello’s work has been exhibited in countless galleries and institutions worldwide, including the Museo de Arte Contemporanea de Vigo, Vigo, Italy (2005); La Galerie Des Serbes Cannes, France (1987); Ponce Museum of Art, Puerto Rico (1977).

Select Public Collections:
Hakone Art Museum, Hakone, Japan
Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
Fresno Art Institute, Fresno, California
Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio
George Washington University, Washington, DC
Hispanic Museum, New York