History tells the story of people, and so do portraits. Through the windows of these works of art we can see it majestically sweeping across the heroic deeds of important figures in history, and the struggles of men and women whose lives we know so little about. "Looking Back: Portraits of Latin America 2000," an ambitious exhibition on view at the Smithsonian International Galleries from October 21 to January 8, 2006, offers a fascinating glimpse into these past lives. It allows museum visitors to see, in many cases, people from Latin American history for the first time. (Much of the exhibition can be seen at retatos.org.)

Consider, for example, the stately portrait of Bernardo de galvez when he was governor of Mexico. Although Galvez's name does not appear in many textbooks, his contributions to American history are crucial. His iconography, or retrospection, a word from a Latin root meaning a re-creation, demands our attention. Galvez was governor of Spanish Louisiana at the time when the Thirteen Colonies revolted against British rule. In 1780, under his leadership, the navy and army defeated the British at Mobile Bay and wrested control of West Florida from them. Galvez's offensive distracted the British, drawing their ships and troops into the Gulf of Mexico, away from their colony. Without Galvez to the south, General George Washington would certainly have encountered far more fierce and deadly fighting at the decisive battle at Yorktown.

Some of the portraits in are by famous artists such as Fernando Botero, Diego Rivera, and Frida Kahlo; others are by artists unknown to us or anonymous Created. For the past three years, curators at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery have worked closely with their colleagues at the San Antonio Museum of Art and El Museo del Barrio in New York. With generous support from the Ford Motor Company Foundation and the Smithsonian Center for Latin American Initiatives, they have jointly created an exhibition drawing from a rich store of 76 public and private art collections located in 15 countries. , has visited three museums in New York City, San Diego and Miami. It will be on display at the San Antonio Museum of Art from February 4 to April 30, 2006.

‘retatos’ showcases the rich history and culture of Latin America, from before the arrival of Europeans to the modern day, all the way up to the year 2000. It showcases the rich iconography of Latin America. The earliest iconography is on stunning pottery made by the pre-Columbian Moche people from 100 AD to 600 AD. The Moche people, who lived in what is now Peru, painted their portraits so realistically that scholars were able to recognize them at various stages of their lives. Also on display is the oldest known signed portrait in South America, an oil painting pleated in 1599 that represents three descendants of African slaves, each clad in ornate Spanish ruffles, luxurious silks and gold jewelry. . An 1830 portrait of Simon Bolivar tells the story of his search for independence in the early 19th century; then toward the end of the exhibition, a pair of contemporary portraits depict workers in the sugar cane fields. The subjects of the study were a pair of little boys and a pair of little girls, who began by drawing sugar on black paper.

We often forget how closely the history of Latin America is tied to the history of the United States. This unique exhibition, with so many wonderful representations of Latin America, will help build a fuller awareness of our shared history.

It reminds us how Latinos continue to contribute to our country's cultural wealth