Alice Neel

Pioneering portrait artist who challenged societal norms through her unflinching depictions of marginalized communities.

Alice Neel (1900–1984) was an American painter celebrated for her expressive, psychologically intense portraits. Rejecting abstract trends, she focused on capturing the humanity of her subjects, including activists, sex workers, and LGBTQ+ individuals, during an era of widespread discrimination.

Neel's work gained recognition late in life, with her first major retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 1974. Pieces like Andy Warhol (1970), which depicted the artist shirtless post-assassination attempt, and Marxist Girl (1972) exemplified her bold, empathetic style. Her paintings often highlighted social inequities, as seen in T.B. Harlem (1940), a portrayal of healthcare disparities in Black communities.

As a single mother and feminist, Neel defied 20th-century gender expectations. She joined the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, creating art that critiqued capitalism. Later, her involvement in civil rights and feminist movements influenced works such as Black Spanish-American Family (1950).

Art historians like Ann Temkin credit Neel for expanding portraiture beyond elitism. Her legacy thrives in exhibitions worldwide, including the 2021 retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Activists and artists, such as Faith Ringgold, cite Neel’s defiance of aesthetic and social conformity as foundational to modern representational art.