Angel Botello was born in 1913 in the small town of Villa de Cangas de Morrazo in Galica, the northwestern region of Spain. He was one of six children born into the family of a businessman in the fish canning industry. The bankruptcy of the family business in the early 1920s prompted the Botello family to move to Bordeaux, France, where Angel spent the majority of youth.
Angel was encouraged by his mother to become a farmer however; the budding artist had his sights set on a career in architecture. In France, architecture is considered a fine art rather than a science so prospective architects are required to take art classes. The young Botello studied for four years at the École des Beaux-Arts where he excelled in drawing, painting and sculpture.
As a young man, Botello returned to Spain and continued his studies in art until the advent of the Spanish Civil War, at which time he joined the army, to work as a cartographer. The war ended in 1939 and Botello returned to France to meet up with his family who was living in a refugee camp. Following the War, the Botello family opted to leave Europe and headed to the Dominican Republic.
Following the Botello family's arrival, the Dominican art community warmly received Angel, adopting him as one of their own. Throughout the next several years, Angel traveled and lived throughout the Caribbean. The people, colors, forms and atmosphere of the islands provided inspiration that provoked the artist's enthusiastic curiosity, which led to constant productivity. It wasn't long after Botello's relocation that the artist adopted the Caribbean Islands as his spiritual home.In 1944 Botello's paintings attracted the attention of the Peruvian Ambassador in the Dominican Republic. The ambassador invited the artist to show his paintings in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. It was during this exhibition that Angel met Christiane Auguste who became the artist's wife and manager. Following this pivotal show Botello's work became increasingly recognized and received critical acclaim. The Botello couple remained in Haiti until 1952, at which time they moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico where they remained for the rest of their lives. Haiti continued to influence the artist even following his departure. Sin Titulo - Haitiana was painted by the artist circa 1955.
The light and bright colors of the tropics opened a new world for Botello, stimulating his creativity. From the 1960s until his death in 1986 Botello's works became more personal as his three children enriched his life. The deep love that he felt for his children and his wife is reflected in his later paintings, as is visible in two works currently available for sale by Art Cellar Exchange. La Luna Se Cayó and La Carta were both painted in 1979.The Botellos opened Galería Botello, their first art gallery, located in the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Botello's wife, Christiane, was a vital part of the artist's life and was often his model as well as manager. La Luna Se Cayó, La Carta, and Sin Título - Haitiana were all originally purchased at Galería Botello directly from the couple.
Angel Botello never attached himself to one particular artistic school or movement, his style progressed throughout his career. Botello's early works had a distinctly European style. After his tenure in Haiti critics began referring to him as "Gauguin of the Caribbean" because of his use of bold colors and his depictions of island life. Later, his style was referred to as "estilo botelliano" (Botelliano style). Botello's unique paintings were soon highly recognized and imitated. The late 1970s and early 1980s was a time when the artist's works were most desirable and sought after. The works from this time are considered the most quintessential. All three works currently available for sale (La Luna Se Cayó, La Carta, and Sin Título - Haitiana) depict Botello's most favored subject matter: women and girls. Throughout his career, despite his style, the artist continually produced works with playful feminine subjects.The light and bright colors of the tropics fueled Botello's creativity and the bright spirit of the islands continued to energize and impress the artist until his death in 1986. The artist continued to produce until the end of his life, leaving behind an impressive legacy of oil painting, linocuts, lithographs, silk screens and sculptures. Angel Botello is considered on of the greatest Latin American post-modern artists. Recognition of and demand for his artwork continues to grow.