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 Jose 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.

An in-depth look at the transformative influence of Mexican artists on their U.S. counterparts during a period of social change The first half of the 20th century saw prolific cultural exchange between the United States and Mexico, as artists and intellectuals traversed the countries' shared border in both directions. For U.S. artists, Mexico's monumental public murals portraying social and political subject matter offered an alternative aesthetic at a time when artists were seeking to connect with a public deeply affected by the Great Depression. The Mexican influence grew as the artists Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros traveled to the United States to exhibit, sell their work, and make large-scale murals, working side-by-side with local artists, who often served as their assistants, and teaching them the fresco technique. Vida Americana examines the impact of their work on more than 70 artists, including Marion Greenwood, Philip Guston, Isamu Noguchi, Jackson Pollock, and Charles White. It provides a new understanding of art history, one that acknowledges the wide-ranging and profound influence the Mexican muralists had on the style, subject matter, and ideology of art in the United States between 1925 and 1945. Published in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art Exhibition Schedule: Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (February 17-May 17, 2020) McNay Art Museum, San Antonio (June 25-October 4, 2020)

The complete North American work of one of Mexico's greatest muralists.

Among the Mexican muralists working in this country during the 1920s and 1930s, including the giants Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, the paintings of José Clemente Orozco are arguably the strongest and most politically charged. This important and profusely illustrated volume is proof. From his first commission, Prometheus, at Pamona College and his highly political work at the New School for Social Research in New York to what some feel is his masterpiece, The Epic of American Civilization, at Dartmouth College, Orozco's stinging characterizations of hypocrisy, greed, and oppression challenged conventional conservative views, to such an extent that in certain instances demands were made for the destruction of his works.

All of Orozco's North American work is presented here, with discussions on his life and influences as well as his place among the other Mexican artists and his impact on the exuberant art of the 1960s and 1970s. 250 illustrations, over half in color.