Celebrating Latinx and Hispanic Heritage

A painting on a glass window, looking out on a garden, depicting colorful birds and red lines.

Honor the experiences and contributions of Latinx and Hispanic people, including the celebrated artists and influential authors in The Huntington’s collections. Discover important artworks on view, learn about the research taking place throughout the institution, and explore the vast archive of stories and programming.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed in the United States from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Sept. 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively. Source: hispanicheritagemonth.gov

On View: Historic Artworks

Enrique Martínez Celaya (Cuban, born 1964), The Gambler, 2010, bronze, 69 × 30 × 38 1/2 in. Purchased with funds from Sharon and John Light, the Steve Martin Fund for American Art, and the Kelvin Davis Endowment. © Enrique Martínez Celaya. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Born in Cuba and raised in Spain and Puerto Rico, Martínez Celaya has said his work concerns the “existential condition of belonging.” The Gambler depicts a life-size boy on crutches carrying a house on his shoulders. He carries the idea of home and identity with him, resolved to bring it with him into the future. The boy’s clothing and home are non-specific in terms of space and time, and hence universal.

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On View: Historic Artworks

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828). Portrait of José Antonio Caballero, Second Marqués de Caballero, Secretary of Grace and Justice, 1807. Oil on canvas, canvas: 41 5/16 × 33 1/8 in. (105 × 84.1 cm), frame: 53 1/16 × 44 7/8 × 3 1/2 in. (134.8 × 114 × 8.9 cm). Gift of The Ahmanson Foundation. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Portrait of José Antonio Caballero, Second Marqués de Caballero, Secretary of Grace and Justice was painted in 1807, a time when Goya was renowned for his portraits of the Spanish nobility and just before the Napoleonic invasion of Spain profoundly altered the nature of his later work. While The Huntington holds a number of Goya’s etchings and aquatints, Portrait of José Antonio Caballero is the first Spanish oil painting to join The Huntington’s art collection and will complement its extensive holdings of Library materials on Spanish imperial history.

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On View: Historic Artworks

José María Velasco, Vista de Tacubaya (View of Tacubaya), ca. 1895, oil on paper mounted to canvas, 11 x 16 1/2 in. (27.9 x 41.9 cm). Photo by Christina O’Connell. | Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros.

When Velasco’s painting arrived at The Huntington, a few lines of printed text could be seen at the bottom of the work. Infrared reflectography, a process that can detect layers of detail not visible to the naked eye, has revealed what lies beneath the painting’s surface.

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Celebrating Latinx and Hispanic Heritage

On View: Historic Artworks

On View: Historic Artworks

On View: Historic Artworks

José María Velasco, Vista de Tacubaya (View of Tacubaya), ca. 1895, oil on paper mounted to canvas, 11 x 16 1/2 in. (27.9 x 41.9 cm). Photo by Christina O’Connell. | Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros.

Programming

ICW presents “Compton in My Soul”

Labor and Laborers at The Huntington

Seeing and Knowing: Visions of Latin American Nature

Borderlands

Stories

The Orchids of Mexico and Guatemala

A Multilingual Map of the Greater Los Angeles Area

Toasting Mexico, Roasting Imperialism

The Most Versatile Person Imaginable

Vincent Lugo and the Monsters of La Laguna

Time Traveling in Gloria Molina’s Papers

William Camargo’s Protest Pictures Give Voice to History

Rebeca Méndez on “Storm Cloud”

Opening Hours

Admission Info and Tickets