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of art by this artist.
Alice Neel Biography
Alice Neel, born on January 28, 1900, in Merion Square, Pennsylvania, was one of the most significant American artists of the twentieth century, renowned for her expressive portraits that captured the essence of her subjects with unflinching honesty and humanist sensibility. Her work, spanning over six decades, provides a dynamic and intimate chronicle of New York life, documenting a diverse array of individuals from all walks of life.
Neel's early life was marked by both personal tragedy and a burgeoning passion for art. She was the fourth of five children in a family that moved to the rural town of Colwyn, Pennsylvania, shortly after her birth. Her father, George Washington Neel, worked as an accountant for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and her mother, Alice Concross Hartley Neel, was a descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Despite the limited expectations and opportunities for women at the time, Neel was determined to pursue her artistic ambitions, even in the face of her mother's skepticism.
After graduating from high school in 1918, Neel took a clerical job to support her family while attending evening art classes at the School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia. Her professional ambitions were not understood by her parents, with her mother once remarking, "I don't know what you expect to do in the world, you're only a girl." Nevertheless, Neel persisted and, with the help of scholarships and her savings, enrolled in the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art) in 1921. There, she studied under the tutelage of artists such as Henry Snell and Rae Sloan Bredin, honing her skills in landscape painting, life drawing, and portraiture.
In 1924, Neel's life took a dramatic turn when she met Carlos Enríquez, a Cuban painter, at a summer program organized by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The couple married in 1925 and moved to Havana, where Neel was exposed to the Cuban avant-garde and developed a political consciousness that would influence her work for the rest of her life. The couple's time together was fraught with hardship; their first daughter, Santillana, died of diphtheria, and after a tumultuous relationship, Enríquez left Neel, taking their second daughter with him.
Neel's personal struggles continued in New York, where she suffered a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide. However, she found solace in her art, capturing the human condition with a raw and empathetic eye. She moved to Spanish Harlem in 1938, immersing herself in the community and painting its residents with a depth of character and psychological insight that became her trademark.
Throughout her career, Neel faced financial difficulties and struggled to gain recognition in an art world dominated by abstract and conceptual art. Despite these challenges, she remained committed to her figurative and humanist approach, painting friends, family, activists, and cultural figures with equal candor and compassion. Her portraits are celebrated for their emotional intensity and the way they reflect the era in which she lived.
Neel's work began to receive critical acclaim in the 1960s and 1970s, as the feminist movement and a renewed interest in figurative art brought her into the spotlight. In 1974, she had a retrospective exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and in 1980, she painted a daring self-portrait at the age of 80, showcasing her unidealized, aged body with boldness and honesty.
Alice Neel passed away on October 13, 1984, in New York City, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire and challenge viewers. Her portraits serve as a powerful testament to her belief in the dignity and eternal importance of the human being, and her body of work remains a poignant reflection of the diverse tapestry of American life.
Alice Neel Quotes and Sales of
Works
Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the
artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and
evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current
market values.
If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the
artist, contact us immediately.
If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the
works:
Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back,
and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of
the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work
and any kind of available documentation (purchase
receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One
of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We
guarantee maximum confidentiality and extreme
professionalism.
If you wish to purchase works by the painter: Contact us
and let us know your request. We will inform you about the
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