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.
