GE assignment – April 12th, 2021
Alice Neel
Alice Hartley Neel was born in Merion Square, Pennsylvania on January 28th, 1900. Daughter of George Washington Neel, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Alice joined art courses since young and began to study at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Her portraits were recognized since she was at school, receiving awards from her portrait class twice.
Alice was known for her portraits of close friends, family members, political figures, artists, lovers and common people, even when abstract expressionism was relevant, and portraits were considered out of fashion. She does follow a pattern of painting people in chairs, tables or couches, with colorful clothing and explicit expression in their faces. She struggled with her mental health after her daughter’s death after turning one, and her second daughter being taken to Cuba by her father. Alice was sent to a suicidal ward after attempting suicide.
After her first husband, Carlos Enriquez abandoned her, she had many other lovers with ups and downs. In 1930, Alice became a member of the Works Progress Administration and in that time, she used to include left-wing activists in her work. In 1938, she moved to Spanish Harlem where she took her time to paint portraits of normal people and she focused on showing a true representation of what she saw. An example would be T.B. Harlem (1940) which is a portrait of an ill man in the bed showing expressions of suffering.
In the 1960s, she moved to the Upper West Side trying to reintegrate with the art world. In this phase of her career, she was painting portraits of artists, gallery owners, art critics. One of her famous paintings include Andy Warhol (1970). Her work started being well recognized in the art industry around 1970s, when she became a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters which means a lot for artists in the US. In 1976, she received the International Women’s Year Award and due to her magnificent skills in art she received the National Women’s Caucus for Art Award.
Alice Neel had colon cancer and the last years of her life she spent with her family members, going to the hospital to take care of her health, teaching art and also attending interviews and presentations. On October 13th, 1984, she died in her New York apartment and her family was there with her. She was buried in Vermont close to her studio as she had previously requested to her family.
Her artwork was very unique. It tried to capture everyday moments of people’s life and the fact that she painted portrait she could express their emotions to the painting. The use of different colors made it very interesting and caught the attention of the viewer. She was reviving a portrait style during times that abstract paintings were in fashion. Her courage to bring back something that out of fashion paid off and now she is considered one of the greatest American artists of the twentieth century.
Works Cited
“Alice Neel.” Alice Neel Biography – Alice Neel on Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/alice-neel/biography
“Alice Neel.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 24 Jan. 2021, www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Neel
Kennaugh, Stuart. Alice Neel, www.aliceneel.com/biography/
Kennaugh, Stuart. Alice Neel, www.aliceneel.com/home/
Alice Neel – Call Me Joe, 1955
Alice Neel – Hartley, 1971
Pedro Lutti – Rogerin, 2021
IN PROGRESS: Drawing Part
GE Assignment – Work in Progress
IN PROGRESS: Research/Writing Part
Alice Hartley Neel was born in Merion Square, Pennsylvania on January 28th, 1900. Daughter of George Washington Neel, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Alice joined art courses since young and began to study at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Her portraits were recognized since she was at school, receiving awards from her portrait class twice.
Alice was known for her portraits of close friends, family members, political figures, artists, lovers and common people, even when abstract expressionism was relevant, and portraits were considered out of fashion. She does follow a pattern of painting people in chairs, tables or couches, with colorful clothing and explicit expression in their faces. She struggled with her mental health after her daughter’s death after turning one, and her second daughter being taken to Cuba by her father. Alice was sent to a suicidal ward after attempting suicide.
After her first husband, Carlos Enriquez abandoned her, she had many other lovers with ups and downs. In 1930, Alice became a member of the Works Progress Administration and in that time, she used to include left-wing activists in her work. In 1938, she moved to Spanish Harlem where she took her time to paint portraits of normal people and she focused on showing a true representation of what she saw. An example would be T.B. Harlem (1940) which is a portrait of an ill man in the bed showing expressions of suffering.
In the 1960s, she moved to the Upper West Side trying to reintegrate with the art world. In this phase of her career, she was painting portraits of artists, gallery owners, art critics. One of her famous paintings include Andy Warhol (1970). Her work started being well recognized in the art industry around 1970s, when she became a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters which means a lot for artists in the US. In 1976, she received the International Women’s Year Award and due to her magnificent skills in art she received the National Women’s Caucus for Art Award.
Alice Neel had colon cancer and the last years of her life she spent with her family members, going to the hospital to take care of her health, teaching art and also attending interviews and presentations. On October 13th, 1984, she died in her New York apartment and her family was there with her. She was buried in Vermont close to her studio as she had previously requested to her family.
Her artwork was very unique. It tried to capture everyday moments of people’s life and the fact that she painted portrait she could express their emotions to the painting. The use of different colors made it very interesting and caught the attention of the viewer. She was reviving a portrait style during times that abstract paintings were in fashion. Her courage to bring back something that out of fashion paid off and now she is considered one of the greatest American artists of the twentieth century.
Works Cited
“Alice Neel.” Alice Neel Biography – Alice Neel on Artnet, www.artnet.com/artists/alice-neel/biography
“Alice Neel.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 24 Jan. 2021, www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Neel
Kennaugh, Stuart. Alice Neel, www.aliceneel.com/biography/
Kennaugh, Stuart. Alice Neel, www.aliceneel.com/home/