Ángel Botello was a Spanish painter known for his use
of vibrant colors and depictions of island life and people in Haiti, Cuba, the
Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. His work is often compared to Paul Gauguin, both for
his focus on Caribbean women and for his use of bold lines and flat
colors. Born on June 20, 1913 in Cangas de Morrazo, Spain, Botello fought
for the Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War and consequently fled the
country to escape persecution from the Nationalists who won the war. The artist
spent the rest of his life living in the Caribbean, though he often travelled
to New York and France, and became a pioneer of the local art scene in Puerto
Rico by opening one of the first art galleries on the island. Botello died on
November 11, 1986 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.