Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits

by Elizabeth P. Benson, Marion Oettinger Jr., Miguel A. Bretos

The tradition of portraiture in Latin America is astonishingly long and rich. For over 2,000 years, portraits have been used to preserve the memory of the deceased, bolster the social standing of the aristocracy, mark the deeds of the mighty, advance the careers of politicians, record rites of passage, and mock symbols of the status quo. This beautiful and wide-ranging book—the first to explore the tradition of portraiture in Latin America from pre-Columbian times to the present day—features some 200 works from fifteen countries.

Retratos (Portraits) presents an engaging variety of works by such well-known figures as Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Fernando Botero, and José Campeche as well as stunning examples by anonymous and obscure artists. Distinguished contributors discuss the significance of portraits in ancient Mayan civilizations, in the world of colonial Iberians, in the political struggles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and in a remarkable range of other times and locations.

With a wealth of informative details and exquisite color illustrations, Retratos invites readers to appreciate Latin American portraits and their many meanings as never before.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2004

About the author

Elizabeth P. Benson is an American art historian, curator and scholar, known for her extensive contributions over a long career to the study of pre-Columbian art, in particular that of Mesoamerica and the Andes. A former Andrew S. Keck Distinguished Visiting Professor of Art History at the American University in Washington, D.C., Benson had also a long association with the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, where she served both as director of pre-Columbian studies and as curator of the institution's collection of pre-Columbian artworks.

Reviews

[pjr8888 · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful sweep of Latin American history and culture through the presentation of "portraiture." numeros artist, art historians, anthropologists, culturists have contributed to the presentation of these works.
any museum exhibition, and its accompanying catalog, will have some omissions, but this one has very few. works were gathered from over fifty museums and collections from the US, Latin America and Europe.
in may 2005, i was able to experience this exhibition at San Diego's Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
the detailed information and rich illustrations of this volume transport me back and into Latin America instantly.